The two-tonne head of a whale that died after stranding in Cornwall has been excavated in a 10-hour mission, five years after its burial. As the local community had previously attempted to rescue the fin whale in 2020, a decision was made to keep part of it so it could eventually be displayed as a memorial. Scientist Robbie McDonald said he buried the skull on University of Exeter land in Falmouth to help prepare the bones for study and display, as it is the most natural way to clean them.