Tacoma students to reassemble whale skeleton

TACOMA, Wash. — Volunteers in Gig Harbor unearthed skeletal remains of a humpback whale Thursday that will be used in a high school project.

The whale washed up on shore in December.

Crews hauled it to a Gig Harbor farm where it was buried so it could decompose.

Next fall, Stadium High School students will be part of a massive project to reassemble the skeleton.

"I kind of equate this to building a deck. If you have the technical knowledge to build a deck, then you can build a whale -- it just has some tweaks,” said marine biologist Rus Higley.

Most of the bones were bare by the time they were dug up Thursday, but there was still some matter left from decomposition.

Once the students assemble the whale, they will get to name it for an exhibit in Seaport, Washington.

Cox Media Group