Whitby's whale bone arch
After the original arch had deteriorated due to exposure to the elements, the current jawbones were acquired in 2002, after a worldwide appeal, from one of its twin towns, Barrow in Alaska.
The new bones, which form the current 19ft (5.8m) arch, are from a bowhead whale which was killed legally by native Inuit in 1996. Whitby Abbey and St Mary's Church can be seen on top of the hill on the far side of the River Esk.
Whitby's whale bone arch
After the original arch had deteriorated due to exposure to the elements, the current jawbones were acquired in 2002, after a worldwide appeal, from one of its twin towns, Barrow in Alaska.
The new bones, which form the current 19ft (5.8m) arch, are from a bowhead whale which was killed legally by native Inuit in 1996. Whitby Abbey and St Mary's Church can be seen on top of the hill on the far side of the River Esk.