Britain's Natural History Museum unveils giant blue whale

Guests mingle beneath a blue whale skeleton on display as part of the reopening of Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London on July 13, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

LONDON — Britain's Natural History Museum in London has suspended a gigantic blue whale skeleton in its main entrance — drawing attention to vanishing species in an environment under strain.

Scientists named the 25.2-meter (82-foot) whale "Hope," recognizing the role of science in safeguarding the environment. The immense creature seems to fly over the atrium and its visitors — a visible reminder of nature's power.

The whale has replaced the much-loved "Dippy," a dinosaur cast in plaster that graced the entryway for decades. Although "Dippy" attained the status of an icon, the museum believed a real specimen better suited their mission to study and conserve the planet.

Museum goer Val Preston says she can't wait to see the whale. She says it "shows we still have spectacular things on this planet."

AP