Abstract:
Reportedly pushed ashore by porpoises, a female sperm whale, measuring 54 feet 2 inches in length, by 33 feet in circumference, and weighing approximately fifty tons, arrived on Wrightsville Beach on April 5th, 1928. Remaining on the beach for nine subsequent days due to bad weather and failed removal attempts, the beached whale drew in more tourism than any other single event in Wilmington's history. The bones of the whale were cleaned, preserved, and taken to the North Carolina Museum of Natural History for display.