Taken from the head of the humpback whale stranded on Gileston Beach, Aberthaw on 16 October 1982.
Barnacles are crustaceans, related to crabs, lobsters and shrimp. Whale barnacles attach to baleen and toothed whales using a cement like substance. Their body is contained in a shell-like structure made up of 6-8 plates, inside which they live upside down with their legs at the top. They are filter feeders, sticking their specialized legs outside their shell to catch plankton and other food in the water.