Bristol Whales willow sculpture dives into nature reserve home

Two life-size whale sculptures made out of willow have re-surfaced at a nature reserve.

The artwork, named The Bristol Whales, was installed in the city centre last summer to mark Bristol's status as European Green Capital.

A head of a humpback whale and tail of a blue whale are depicted by the six-tonne pieces which are made from willow harvested in Somerset.

They will remain at Bennett's Patch and White's Paddock Nature Reserve.

According to the Avon Wildlife Trust, which manages the site, the area has a whaling history dating back to the 18th Century.

"The River Avon would have been full of the tall-masted ships that made Bristol wealthy, one of which moored at nearby Sea Mills," said the trust.

"In 1750, Bristol merchants entered the whaling trade, and the ship Adventure brought back two whales, which were rendered to blubber at Sea Mills.

"The venture continued there for almost 50 years."

The willow pieces spent two months in Millennium Square surrounded by an ocean of "upcycled" bottles to represent the threat of plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Bristol became the first UK city to be named European Green Capital when it took over from Copenhagen at the start of 2015.