On the 14th July, the Natural History Museum unveiled the new centrepiece of its reimagined Hintze Hall - the beginning of the biggest transformation the museum has seen in its 136 year history. A stunning 25.2 metre real blue whale skeleton, otherwise known as Hope, has been suspended from the ceiling in the spectacular space - giving visitors the opportunity to walk underneath the largest creature ever to have lived. Hope has been joined in Hintze Hall by ten iconic specimens, chosen to celebrate the wonder and beauty of the natural world in the hall alcoves, now known as Wonder Bays. We were fortunate enough to preview the incredible hall changeover before public viewing - read on to gain an exclusive sneak peek of the dramatic transformation...

It is estimated that in the 1800s there were approximately 250,00 blue whales across the world's oceans. Decades of commercial hunting during the 20th Century drove the species to the brink of extinction, with only around 400 thought to be left alive in 1966. That year, the word made a remarkable decision to legally protect blue whales from commercial hunting. Since then, the population of blue whales has steadily grown to its current level of around 20,000 - the start of a viable population. The Museum chose to name the female blue whale Hope, as a symbol of humanity's power to shape a sustainable future, and a reminder of the fragility of life and the responsibility we have towards our planet.