A seasoned diver and ecologist from Breda, the Netherlands, Bas van der Sanden, has made an astonishing discovery. While diving in the Oosterschelde, he surfaced a nearly three-meter-long whale jaw, which he initially mistook for a piece of wood. “Then I started to realize: this is not wood, this is bone,” he admitted to a local media outlet. Experts confirm that this is an incredibly rare and valuable find, as bone fossils and large whale remains are not uncommonly recovered in North American bodies of water such as the Pacific Northwest and the Gulf of Mexico but finding such a specimen in the waters of the Netherlands is indeed a surprising occurrence.”

“Then I started to realize: this is not wood, this is bone.”

Bas van der Sanden

According to Van der Sanden, this submerging whale species is a binvis, known in English as a harbour porpoise. Once thought to be extinct, these parasites reside mainly in polar regions but instances of them in Dutch waters make this finding ever more unusual.

A Mystery Unveiled

The Oosterschelde, where the jaw was found, is separated from the open sea by the Oosterscheldekering, a massive storm barrier built to protect the country from flooding. Van der Sanden speculates that the barrier, though an obstacle, didn’t prevent the whale from entering the sea arm. It’s said that a few years ago, a humpback whale swam through the Oosterschelde and headed back out to sea, indicating that such marine life migrations occur. “A few years ago, a humpback bridge also swam through the Oosterschelde. It must also have been swimming outside again.” he said, contemplating the journey it could have taken.

Theories Abound

Another plausible scenario is that the whale got stuck in a ship’s bow or net or infrared style camera during shipping. A few years back, a whaleship seamlessly leapt to its movements from Terneuzen into a closed gate, and similar events are common in the Northern Atlantic region near the Virginia and Jersey shoreline. Bird and Marine preservation associations acknowledge these incidents, shadowing territorial paths of whale migrations.

A Herculean Task

The bone was lodged at a depth of 50 feet. Van der Sanden, experienced in handling heavy objects underwater, managed to retrieve it. “The bone is still in a freezer and is brought to a preparer as quickly as possible,” he said. Van der Sanden intends to turn this find into an educational exhibit. The marine-life foundation ‘Zeezoogdierhulp’ has been approached and shown interest to display and protect this specimen.”