Museum of Natural History's iconic blue whale gets annual cleaning in New York City

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The iconic blue whale at the Museum of Natural History is getting its annual cleaning.

The entire 94-foot-long body of the whale gets dusted every nine months.

The blue whale was first installed in 1969.

It is the largest model of the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.

It is made of fiberglass and polyurethane and weighs 21,000 pounds.

The whole job takes a day and a half.

Museum employees say the hardest part of the job is maneuvering the lift around the whale.

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