The largest object in the museum, and Langness whale has fascinated generations of children on the island.
And Ms McCoy explained, as well as celebrating the history of the artefact, it allows for a broader conservation about the natural world and its conservation.
“What museums do best is use an object that illustrates multiple lines of inquiry,” she said.
“You’ve got the history, you’ve got the science, you’ve even got art.
“The whale skeleton is like an entryway into a bigger story if you want to go down that route.
“That’s why we love these kinds of objects and specimens because they allow us to talk about all sorts of different things and reach people in different ways.
“We want to bring kids into the museum, have a lovely day, see something really cool, and learn something interesting.
“And then they can talk about it and maybe it’ll inspire some of them to take it further when they get a little bit older… that’s always the dream.”
The Langness whale is on display in the Natural History Gallery of the Manx Museum.