 Director Warren D. Allmon expressed interest in acquiring the skeleton after being notified on October 21, 1999 by the National Marine Fisheries Service that the right whale had been spotted dead off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey.PRI was informed that they could take the skeleton if they assisted with flensing the 30-ton carcass.Three days later, the bones arrived at PRI, where they were buried in a bed of horse manure for several months in order to remove the remaining flesh and oil.