Students going through Memorial University’s new core science building this fall will be treated to quite the sight when they walk into the main atrium.

The skeleton of an 82-foot blue whale will be hung in the atrium. It was recovered from Trout River and restored with funding from the Dobbin family in memory of Eleanor Dobbin.

It is one of three recently showcased blue whale skeletons in the world, with the other two on display at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Natural History Museum in London, England.

Dr. Mark Abrahams, Provost and Vice President (Academic) at MUN, says the opportunity came at just the right time as they were in the process of designing the new building. He says the display of the blue whale has been built into the building’s design.

“It’s going to knock your socks off,” says Abrahams, who notes that the whale will be visible to drivers on Prince Philip Drive.