PADANAMTHITTA: In the quiet courtyard of a house in Pathanamthitta's Thumpamon, far from the roar of the sea, a giant of the oceans found a second life.
Piece by fragile piece, a 15-m-long Bryde's whale rose again, in bones, through the patient hands and relentless curiosity of Jiji Sam, a schoolteacher whose passions range from birds and wildlife to art and science.
What lay before him was not a complete skeleton, but a puzzle of over 100 broken and damaged bone fragments of a whale that had washed ashore dead at Vellayil beach near Kozhikode in 2023.
The carcass, taken over by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), was buried and later exhumed in 2024 after natural decomposition.
Time, however, was not kind to the bones. Several were cracked, others partially lost, and some had vanished altogether.
So, in 2025, when CMFRI entrusted him with the task of making the skeleton fit for its exhibition planned in February 2026, Jiji knew the challenge went far beyond assembling.
“After coming to know of my wildlife art works at places such as Konni and Kulathupuzha, the officials approached me to take up the assignment. Once I agreed, truckloads of bones were transported from Kochi to my home at Thumpamon Vadakkekara. For nearly five months, I immersed myself in research, studying scientific texts, examining museum specimens from across the world, and referring to photographs and academic papers to understand the precise anatomy and alignment of the Bryde's whale,” Jiji recalls.
The greatest test was recreating what no longer existed. Missing bone fragments had to be imagined before they could be rebuilt.
Using careful measurements, Jiji reconstructed the lost parts with suitable materials, ensuring that form and proportion stayed true to nature.
To give the massive structure stability and flexibility, an iron framework mounted on vertical pillars was fabricated with the help of skilled workers.
Designed to be dismantled and reinstalled, the frame allowed the skeleton to stand tall while staying transportable.
As the work progressed, word spread. Students, teachers and science enthusiasts began arriving at the house, watching in awe as the scattered remains took the shape of a marine giant.
The end result was remarkable: The Bryde's whale skeleton, Kerala's first and India's second, was prepared for display.
It proved quite the crowd-puller at the open exhibition organised at CMFRI in Kochi as part of its foundation day celebrations earlier this month.
Now, installed at the institute permanently, the skeleton is drawing praise from scientists and officials alike for its scientific accuracy and aesthetic elegance.
For Jiji, the achievement is a natural extension of a life shaped by curiosity. The president of Pathanamthitta Birders, a birders collective, he is equally at ease observing birds, sculpting wildlife forms or painting nature.
Currently working as a trainer at the Pandalam Block Resource Centre under the education department, Jiji also builds science models to make learning tactile and exciting for children.
Supported by his wife, who is an official with the Pandalam block panchayat, and two children, he continues to blur the line between art and science.