Provincial Museum of the Sea

Built as a school in San Cibrao in 1931, the small Museo Provincial del Mar is housed in two main areas, which were formerly divided by gender. It displays a large number of objects related to the life of the coastal population of northern Galicia, who until the mid‑20th century engaged in whaling in the North Atlantic.

Based on a collection of items gathered by teacher Francisco Rivera Casás and his students, the museum opened in 1969, becoming the first in Galicia dedicated to the sea. It displays an interesting collection of photographs of San Cibrao as well as of the Galician fleet from the early 20th century. There are also various nautical utensils, documents, ship models, archaeological objects, and artifacts related to fishermen, net makers, and shipwrights. A collection of shells from the main groups of mollusks and crustaceans in the area is also on display.

The most notable part of the museum is dedicated to whaling in San Cibrao, specifically in the neighboring town of Morás, where a factory dedicated to this activity was established. Even today, visitors can see the ramp down which whales were dragged for processing and may speak with some former workers. From this industry, the museum preserves whale ribs, vertebrae, baleen, and a variety of harpoons used for hunting whales. The most sought-after product was sperm whale oil, valued for a wide range of uses, including in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, as a lubricant, for making candles, and as fuel.