Trouble Comes to Town

Spring 1928 brought clear skies, calm seas and a massive sperm whale to the shores of Wrightsville Beach. Measuring an astounding 54 feet long, the deceased whale shocked and fascinated the still-growing beach town like no other event in its history. But that was just the start of a laborious two-year journey to give the whale, named Trouble, a second life as a member of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' permanent mammal collection. This week, Lisa Gatens, the research curator for mammals at the museum in Raleigh, stops by the show to talk about Trouble's incredible story, how whales are preserved for education opportunities and why their bones are best cleaned in horse manure. Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by Hunter Ingram. Additional editing by Adam Fish. This week's interview was recorded at WHQR Studios in Wilmington. Season three is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry and Tidewater Heating & Air Conditioning. Sources: -- "Trouble," the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Digital Archives Project (available online at naturalsciences.org/docs/Trouble.pdf) -- "Land of the Golden River," by Lewis Phillip Hall -- "Wrightsville Beach: The Luminous Island," by Ray McAllister -- Wilmington Morning Star Editions, April-December 1928