Natural History Museum unveils 'Dippy' the Diplodocus replacement Hope the blue whale

The hanging skeleton has taken months to prepare

The Natural History Museum's revamp is complete, with the London institution's Hintze Hall now being watched over by a vast blue whale skeleton.

Though there was much fondness for the diplodocus, nicknamed Dippy, that served as the main exhibit before, it was a replica, so this new specimen is cause for much wonder and celebration.

The blue whale has been named Hope as a "symbol of humanity's power to shape a sustainable future."

Historian Tom Holland tweeted: "Obviously, I miss Diplodocus carnegiensis, but no one can deny that @NHM_London's new display is as awesome as it is moving...

"When the NHM's blue whale died in the C19th, there were 250,000 blue whales. By the 60s, there were a few hundred. Now - 20,000.

"In other words - co-ordinated international conservation measures CAN work. Why the @NHM_London blue whale is called Hope..."

The 126-year-old skeleton has been positioned in a diving pose, taking months to prepare for exhibition.

The museum is hoping the whale will help realign the NHM's image as a place of living science rather than just old fossils, with active research going on at the museum on a daily basis.