A Sidney-based aquarium has issued a plea for the return of a dolphin skull that was stolen from its exhibits in early January.
The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea says the theft occurred sometime between the centre’s opening hours on January 8th and before opening on January 9th.
Tina Kelly, the Centre’s Director of Learning and Communications, says there was no evidence of a break-in and nothing else was taken.
She says the skull is a specimen from a porpoise and is used in education programming a the Centre.
“We have another porpoise skull but it is attached to a fixture that can’t really be portable,” Kelly said in an interview with Victoria Buzz.
“[The missing one] has been used portably to show school kids, visitors. Over the years people have been able to touch the teeth…it’s a multi-purpose, multi-functional, well-used, well-loved artifact.”
She added it’s hard to place a dollar value on the skull given its use in the centre’s programming.
The skull has been in the possession of the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea for over 12 years, and the museum they received it from had it for years before as well.
Kelly says that while the centre could potentially order a cast, she’s unsure of the cost and believes it wouldn’t have the same hands-on appeal of a real skull, which could be hard to obtain again.
“It’s taught a lot of people over the years,” she said. “It would be nice if it could be used to educate other people.”
The centre says they have not filed a police report and are unlikely to do so. They’re hoping that the person who took the skull will return it, no questions asked, to the centre.
If anyone has information on the skull’s whereabouts, they can contact info@salishseacentre.org or visit the centre during opening hours, Friday to Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
