Musing at Museums: D'Bone Collector Museum (Davao City)
Some of the collection at D’Bone Collector Museum
I just finished an 8-part series on my Davao City food trip (you can start reading here). So I’m taking a break from food articles and feature 2 museums in the city, one today and another on Thursday (and we’ll be back to food very soon!). Today is about D’Bone Collector Museum.
D’Bone Collector Museum
When I was researching on museums to visit in Davao City, this museum keeps popping up. In fact, it is one of the highly-rated tourist spots in the city. Honestly, I wasn’t too excited to visit this museum. Who feels a euphoria over bones?! Maybe a handful of people do. But not me! However, my visit changed my view of the museum…and of bones! In fact, I would now highly recommend this to any Davao City visitor. This museum is a must in your itinerary. I’ll tell you why in a bit.
D’Bone Collector Museum features the bone collection of its owner, Darrel Blatchley. Blatchley is an American who was born in the States but lived more than half of his life in the Philippines. He is married to a Davaoeña and started a family in Davao.
Blatchley started collecting when he was a teenager. His collection grew through the years until it was big enough to open a museum. So in 2012, the museum opened with less than 200 specimens. Today, after a renovation, it has 5000 specimens, spread throughout 700 square meters of space and housed in a 3-storey building.
All of the specimens were legally acquired. Blatchley himself cleans and assembles the bones, which can take several months, depending on the size of the animal. His collection include local and imported specimens, with some preserved through taxidermy (that’s a new word to me!).
Some specimens preserved through taxidermy
The museum is so famous that it’s recognized by different organizations and was even featured in TV shows.
The awards or recognition of Darrell Blatchley, with a picture of Rodrigo Duterte awarding him, the then Mayor of Davao City and now the President of the Republic
Here are 5 things I learned and realized in the museum:
1. Tarsiers are not only found in Bohol
Contrary to what I learned since grade school, Tarsiers aren’t just exclusive to Bohol, an island province in Central Visayas, the central region of the Philippines. In other words, the central of central! Ha! Never mind…
Tarsier found in the area
The museum keeps a preserved body of the small leaping primate. Interestingly, this one has a longer body. I learned that this is a different species of tarsier, found in Mindanao, the southern region where Davao is located. (I later learned that tarsiers are endemic to Southeast Asia.)
2. Dogs have a bone in their penis (LOL)
Warning: The following may be awkward. LOL?!
Have you ever wondered why dogs don’t detach immediately after mating? I did but didn’t bother to find out why. But my visit to the museum answered the question I didn’t have the courage to ask (or Google). LOL. It’s because dogs have a bone in their penis, making it hard to detach.
Dog Specimens
3. Sharks Don’t Have Bones
If number 2 was awkward, then this might be borderline ignorant…which could be awkward, too, I realize. Unlike fishes and whales, sharks don’t have bones but are made of cartilage. The museum has a display of shark jaws (and skeletons of fishes, dolphins, and whales).
Shark Jaws
This is what the museum (and every museum) did for me. It helps me gain new knowledge, even if I should have known it long before. Well, we’re all on a learning journey.
4. Proper waste disposal can save marine creatures
The topmost floor of the museum is dedicated to marine specimens. Each has an interesting name with a story behind it. For instance, one is named Orbit because it was discovered that there is a bottle of a namesake chewing gum inside. Another is named Alcoholic not because it got drunk, swam, and died. It got its name when a bottle of an alcoholic drink was found inside. Both Orbit and Alcoholic are False Killer Whales (yes, that’s the name of their species).
Orbit
With these specimens, I realized that as simple as proper waste disposal can save marine creatures. Blatchley, who’s also an environmentalist, said:
“You don’t have to stop a whaling ship to save one of these animals. Just by properly throwing away your garbage, you can save one. It takes only two steps to the garbage can or doing nothing by throwing the plastic bag on the ground…Little things like these that when you add them all make a huge difference.”[1]
Proper waste disposal and taking care of marine life (and the environment in general) are among my key takeaways in the museum. I hope that when you visit the museum, you will also learn this. This is what the museum, I think, is all about.
Next time I’m at a beach and see garbage, I’ll pick it up and dispose it properly.
By the way, don’t forget to marvel at the sperm whale specimen at the 3rd floor. It’s truly amazing!
The 3rd floor where marine creatures are featured
5. Creation is beautiful!
As a Christian, I believe that God created the universe, the world, and everything in it. Mankind has been given the great privilege to take care and appreciate of His beautiful creation. Although we have miserably failed many times throughout history, we can still change and start being good stewards. Individually, we can take simple steps, such as raising awareness and even properly disposing our garbage.
Blatchley, a son of missionaries and a former youth pastor, wisely said:
“God cares for His animals and we humans should take care of His creations. But the most important thing is still our fellow beings. The museum merely teaches us to be good stewards of what is around us.” (emphasis mine) [2]
Taking care of the environment is ultimately about loving people, who will be greatly affected if we don’t.
I highly recommend a visit to the D’Bone Collector Museum. It’s very informative and inspiring. Kudos to Darrell Blatchley and his team for this amazing museum.
Let me leave you with a moving poem written by Blatchley, a.k.a. Uncle D, himself:
“Time” by Darrell Blatchley (There’s a story in the skeleton at the right. It’s said that no one claimed the bones of “lola” or grandma. So the museum took the bones instead.)
Have you visited D’Bone Collector Museum before? What simple steps will you make to take care of the environment? Comment them below!
Address: San Pedro St., Poblacion District, Davao City | Operating Hours: Monday-Friday, 10AM-5PM; Saturday, 1PM-5PM | Fees: Regular: P200; Kids: P180; Senior/PWD: P170 (all inclusive with a guided tour) | Facebook
PS Don’t forget to read my Davao City Food Trip series: Food Experience to Try at the King City of the South | The Night (Market) Crawler Goes to Roxas Night Market | The Ultimate Tuna Experience Part 1 (Kinilaw, Pakfry, and Panga) | The Ultimate Tuna Experience Part 2 (Marina Tuna and Yellow Fin) | My Durian State of Mind | Trying Carabao (Water Buffalo) Dishes | Zoy’s Top 5: Davao City Food
[1] Quoted in https://edgedavao.net/special-supplement/2017/12/30/dbone-collector-museum-gains-attention/
[2] Ibid.