Whale Island in old pictures | Nostalgia

Barbara the polar bear cub was rescued from drifting ice off Greenland during the Second World War.
By Chris Owen
Published 19th Jul 2020, 19:00 BST
A naval diver descending into a diving tank at Whale Island, circa 1950. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images.A naval diver descending into a diving tank at Whale Island, circa 1950. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images.
A naval diver descending into a diving tank at Whale Island, circa 1950. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images.

Sailors took her on board their cruiser and made her their mascot.

When she outgrew her accommodation she was dropped off on Whale Island (HMS Excellent) where the sailors’ zoo had been established since 1893.

In 1975 the Royal Navy banned taking animal mascots to sea.

Sailors from HMS Excellent holding pigs at Whale Island, September 1933. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty ImagesSailors from HMS Excellent holding pigs at Whale Island, September 1933. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images
Sailors from HMS Excellent holding pigs at Whale Island, September 1933. Picture: Fox Photos/Getty Images

• To see more pictures the island click here.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

• Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.

Related topics:SailorsRoyal NavyPortsmouth

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.