Several cases of whale carcasses exploding because of gas buildup during decomposition have been reported. The Exploding Whale incident refers to an event that took place in Florence, Oregon, USA on November 12, 1970. The event was the scene of an exploding whale, which was widely reported. A dead sperm whale had washed up on a beach near the city and the local authorities decided to dispose of the whale’s remains by using dynamite. The idea was to blast the whale into smaller pieces that would then be easier to remove.
However, the explosion was much more powerful than expected and the whale’s blubber flew everywhere, showering the surrounding area with chunks of flesh and bone. It was estimated that the carcass weighed 8 short tons (16,000 lb; 7,300 kg). Footage of the event was captured by a local television station and the footage was later aired on national news, making the “Exploding Whale” one of the most famous cases of failed animal disposal in history.
The incident was widely criticized and mocked, and it has since become a symbol of government incompetence and has been featured in numerous books, articles, and internet memes. Despite the notoriety of the incident, similar attempts at disposing of whale carcasses with explosives have been reported in other countries. In an interview with an interviewer, George Thornton, the engineer responsible for removing the whale, said he wasn’t sure how much dynamite would be required. This is because his supervisor was hunting.
An explosion resulting from the incident was captured on video by cameraman Doug Brazil for Portland, Oregon television station KATU-TV. The same footage from news station KATU circulated on the Internet after American humorist Dave Barry viewed television footage of the explosion in 1990. A parody of it was also featured in the 2007 American film Reno 911! Miami as well as the 2018 Australian film Swinging Safari.
There was a military veteran with explosives training in the area who advised not to use twenty cases of dynamite, suggesting instead using 20 sticks of 3.8kg. However, his advice was ignored. In the aftermath of the explosion, large pieces of blubber landed close to buildings and in parking lots several miles away from the beach.
The video has been widely circulated on the internet and is often used as an example of government incompetence. Here you can watch exploding whale video. In conclusion, the “Exploding Whale” incident in Oregon is a well-known event that serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of attempting to dispose of large animals with explosives. Read More – Gray Whales Along the Oregon Coast
