Head to head: Dippy versus the whale ... but who comes out on top?

 
How the blue whale skeleton will look in the main hall
Lizzie Edmonds @lizzieedmo
29 January 2015

Londoners are split over who merits the prime spot in the Natural Museum's main hall - Dippy or the new planned blue whale.

Some people welcomed the idea of a new addition to the entrance hall.

Matthew Lowe wrote on Twitter: “A whale skeleton in the Museum entrance? Race you to it.”

And Peter Saxton added: “Love the idea of the new exhibit. Dippy’s had his time.”

But who wins on paper? Here are the stats:

Dippy versus the whale

DIPPY:

Skeleton length: 83ft

Weight when alive: 10 to 16 tonnes (a new Routemaster bus weighs 12 tonnes)

Would have eaten: Plants, vegetation

Fact: Dippy has 356 bones. They were shipped to England in 36 crates.

Real or replica: replica

BLUE WHALE:

Skeleton length: 83ft

Weight when alive: Up to 190 tonnes (same as almost 16 Routemasters)

Would have eaten: Krill

Fact: Curators originally paid £250 for the skeleton in 1891.

Real or replica: the real thing