Transporting the over 33-feet long blue whale skeleton to Airoli on Monday from Uran in Raigad district, a 72-hour long operation, cost the Mangroves Cell close to Rs 3.5 lakh. The cost includes transportation, wages of labourers, cleaning of the carcass etc. The huge blue whale skeleton has been kept at the flamingos sanctuary in Airoli. If everything goes according to plan, then well-known taxidermist Dr Santosh Gaikwad will work on it. The Mangroves Cell is in talks with Gaikwad for the same.

"We have spoken to the taxidermist and he has told us that we have already completed 90 per cent of his work by cleaning the carcass. It has made his job easier," said assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Makrand Ghodke, from the Mangroves Cell of the Forest Department. The skeleton weighs 20-tonnes.