A rare glimpse inside Britain's secret vault of whale skeletons

The Natural History Museum's legendary cetacean collection - a hoard of bones of 6,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises, so valuable that the museum keeps the location under wraps - could hold the key to the long-term future of these speciesPhotographs by Alicia Canter for the GuardianBehind a 10-foot tall door, in a secret location, lies a treasure trove of bones. Some of the biggest bones are laid out on storage units made of scaffolding, others are stacked against each other on racks - rows and rows of specimens. The smallest are tucked into drawers of faded-yellow metal cabinets. A selection of skulls lies on a low table; crudely stuffed animals hang from the painted breezeblock walls. Everything is carefully labelled.This vast room houses the Natural History Museum's cetacean collection - a globally unique hoard of 6,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises. The artefacts are so enormous and irreplaceable, they're housed at a secret location away from the main museum building. Top left: whale skulls and various other bones. Right: dolphin skeletons. Bottom left: the skull of a sperm whale. Right: whale spines on the shelves stretch into the distance Continue reading...