What’s The Story Behind The Beached Whale At COP29?

Why is there a beached whale lying on the embankments of Baku at COP29? Here’s what we know so far. 

What’s The Story Behind The Beached Whale At COP29?

COP29 is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan and there appears to be a beached whale lying on the city’s embankments. Although it may be hyper-realistic – and it appears to be dead – the whale is in fact an art installation from eco-activists Captain Boomer Collective from Belgium. 

Dead sperm whale washed up on shore of Baku this morning. One of the more unusual sights ahead of #COP29. Very unusual for them to be in the Caspian Sea pic.twitter.com/exiGJw9uCs

— David Saddington (@EnvironmentDave) November 11, 2024

The whale is certainly drawing attention. An Instagram story posted by Captain Boomer Collective shows the beached whale – manned by white hazard suit-clad individuals – observed and filmed by a large crowd. The story is captioned: ‘On November 11 2024, an unusual occurrence on the coast of the Caspian Sea has intrigued residents and visitors of Baku.’ Hashtags naming COP29 indicate the collective is specifically targeting attendees of the environmental conference. 

What Does The Whale Mean?

 

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This is not the whale’s first outing – the installation was originally commissioned for Greenwich + Docklands International Festival in 2013 and has been displayed globally – and of previous installations the collective says: ‘The beached whale is a gigantic methaphor (sic) for the disruption of our ecological system. People feel their bond with nature is disturbed. The game between fiction and reality reinforces this feeling of disturbance.’ Captain Boomer Collective has yet to release a statement.

Artists and eco-activists are gathering worldwide for COP, including in Baku at COP29.
Belgian art collective Captain Boomer has created a hyper-realistic installation of a dead whale to highlight environmental destruction. #COP29 #Baku #EcoArt #CaptainBoomer pic.twitter.com/PMYTqs9MDU

— Zahra Badalbayli (@ZahraBadalbayli) November 11, 2024

Featured Image: The Beached Whale in the Baltic Sea via Flickr.