Lawrence Hall of Science’s life-size fin whale sculpture vanished from her resting spot overlooking Berkeley on Tuesday. But avid fans of Pheena don’t need to fret — she won’t be gone for long.
Pheena is currently getting some TLC at a Richmond boat repair shop, and Lawrence Hall of Science officials said she’ll be back home in about a month. Crews pulled the 3,000-pound sculpture onto a big rig and took a short journey up to Svendsen’s Bay Marine boatyard for her care.
The fiberglass fin whale has been an iconic fixture for crawling, touching and playing on outside the Lawrence Hall of Science for over 45 years. The last time Pheena disappeared for cleaning in 2016, fans gathered with posters and a ribbon-cutting to celebrate her return.
Though it has been closed for most of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawrence Hall of Science is set to reopen outdoors on Memorial Day weekend, May 28, for a Summer Fundays series through Aug. 15. Pheena should return to her post by mid-summer to take part in the programming.
Check out more images from the Lawrence Hall of Science on Pheena’s big journey last weekend:
