A rare glimpse inside Britain’s secret vault of whale skeletons

The Natural History Museum’s legendary cetacean collection – a hoard of bones of 6,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises, so valuable that the museum keeps the location under wraps – could hold the key to the long-term future of these speciesPhotographs by Alicia Canter for the GuardianBehind a 10-foot tall door, in a secret location, lies a treasure trove of bones. Some of the biggest bones are laid out on storage units made of scaffolding, others are stacked against each other o