Why are people flocking to see a ‘dead whale’ in Baku, the location of the COP29 summit? – First post

The United Nations COP29 Climate Summit is currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, and representatives from nearly 200 countries are attending the event. However, the crowds have gathered in the city for another reason entirely.

A huge, stinking sperm whale measuring over 17.5 meters has been spotted on the shores of the Caspian Sea – an unusual sight in the world’s largest enclosed lake, which has no known population of sperm whales.

Since Monday, residents have flocked to the coastline to see this giant marine mammal up close.

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What’s so special about it?

According to CNNthe residents of Baku may be surprised, as sperm whales are not found in this isolated sea. The sight – and smell – of the whale has made it an unexpected attraction at the climate summit.

But there’s a twist

The huge dead whale on the coast of Baku isn’t real – it’s a hyper-realistic model created by ‘Captain Boomer’, a Belgium-based collective of actors, sculptors and scientists.

The collective installed the replica with permission as world leaders gathered for the COP29 climate summit. The conference, which started on Monday in Azerbaijan, focuses on financing developing countries affected by climate change.

Since its creation over a decade ago, this model whale has been displayed in cities and coasts, including locations in Europe and Australia.

“If we think the story is correct, we show up in a city,” says Bart Van Peel of Captain Boomer CNN.

The journey from Belgium to Azerbaijan took two weeks and the model was transported through Europe, Turkey and Georgia before reaching Baku. Local activist Adnan Hussein, founder of the FINS Marine Conservation Initiative, helped secure approval from Azerbaijani authorities to display the installation during the climate summit.

What is the reason behind the installation of the model?

The model whale in Baku aims to raise awareness about the global ecological crisis, and especially the man-made climate challenges that threaten marine life.

Made with molds of real whales while the smell comes from buckets of rotting fish, the installation is designed to feel disturbingly real. The whale model is a “gigantic metaphor for the disruption of our ecological system,” the collective describes on its website.

Speak with CNNVan Peel said the motif is to play with fact and fiction to challenge people’s beliefs and make them think. The animal “gives people the feeling that their connection with nature has been disrupted,” he said.

Captain Boomer’s team also organizes performances around the model, playing a role as scientists investigating the whale’s alleged death. They even operate under the fictional North Sea Whale Association, performing mock autopsies and dissections to increase the sense of realism.

To keep the illusion convincing, the team hides buckets of rotting fish around the installation, adding a rancid smell to make the exhibition feel as lifelike as possible.

As climate change continues to warm the oceans, whales face increasing risks, including food shortages, disrupted migration and threats from human activities. Rising ocean temperatures are impacting whales by disrupting their food sources, which could prompt them to change their migration paths. This in turn increases their vulnerability to human activities such as shipping and fishing.

Van Peel explained that the whale’s silent presence feels like a powerful statement: “It’s this gesture of a beast that comes from another element and throws itself at our feet and says, ‘Look, I can’t take it anymore.’” The installation has already attracted a lot of attention. thousands, leaving people to linger and ponder the whale’s message.

He said some have stayed for more than an hour and many have had “very emotional reactions.”

What is the COP29 Climate Change Summit?

The
COP29 summit on climate change is a major United Nations event that brings together representatives of 197 countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

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The meeting lasted twelve days and included diplomats, scientists, activists, companies and environmental organizations, all focused on preventing “dangerous” man-made climate impacts.

Discussions at the conference focus on a financing approach that combines commitments from rich countries with contributions from multilateral institutions and private investors. However, the negotiations are challenging because there is an ongoing debate about which countries should fund climate initiatives.

While historically only rich countries have had to contribute, pressure is increasing on rapidly developing economies, such as China and the oil-rich Gulf countries, to participate financially. However, China resists and defends its status as a developing country.

‘We are on our way to destruction’

This year is on track to reach 1.5 degrees of warming, potentially making it the warmest on record. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev said the effects of climate change in natural disasters such as hurricanes, droughts and floods are already present and hurting.

“We are on the road to destruction,” Babayev said. “Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows. They die in the dark. And they need more than compassion. More than prayers and paperwork. They are crying out for leadership and action.”

In particular, political shifts over the past year, especially in the United States – the world’s largest historical carbon emitter – and Germany, a leader in climate policy, are influencing negotiations at COP29.

The election of Donald Trump, who disputes climate change and its impact, and the collapse of Germany’s coalition government are now changing the dynamics of global climate agreements, experts say.