Whale of a Fossil Is a Splash

Students sang and waved banners Monday to welcome Richard Henry Dana Elementary School’s new mascot: a 10,000-pound fossilized baleen whale named Splash.

Encased in soil and plaster, the whale bones arrived by truck and were placed at the school’s new Paleontology Center near the athletic field, which overlooks the ocean.

“It’ll be a very good learning experience for all the students,” fifth-grader Lauren Thomson said. “I feel pretty lucky that we were chosen to have Splash.”

Starting in the fall, students in kindergarten through sixth grade will learn about science by working on a project to restore the whale fossil, which involves the meticulous task of brushing away dirt to uncover the delicate bones.

The project, which may take three years, is one of several educational activities planned for the Paleontology Center.

“Kids are just naturally fascinated with fossils and skeletons,” Principal Dave Gerhard said. “It’s really a great thing for this school and the community.”

The bones of the ancient plankton-eating mammal were discovered in Laguna Niguel off Moulton Parkway during excavation for a home development.

Rod Rachke of RMV Paleo Associates in Mission Viejo, who dug up the fossils last fall and delivered the bones to the school, said Splash is nearly complete, with skull, jaws, arm bones, ribs and vertebrae.

The school hopes to generate interest in the restoration from the private sector as well as from the academic community and local residents.

Gerhard said the school is also pursuing grants to hire a full-time teacher to run the Paleontology Center.

Students’ enthusiasm was evident Monday. Said sixth-grader Jamie Gonzales: “I think it’s great. We’re just kids, and we’re doing all the stuff that paleontologists do.”