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Quick takeaways
- The explosion of a dead whale on an Oregon beach captivated the world's attention and resulted in blubber raining down on spectators.
- The event sparked contrasting reactions among residents, with some feeling embarrassed while others embraced it by establishing the Exploding Whale Memorial Park.
Deep dives
Blowing up the Whale
In 1970, a dead whale washed up on the shores of Florence, Oregon. With the goal of disposing of the carcass, engineers from the Oregon State Highway Division decided to blow it up using half a ton of dynamite. The explosion resulted in chunks of blubber raining down on spectators, with some narrowly escaping injury. While the explosion itself was captured on film and gained widespread attention, the cleanup and removal of the whale remains proved to be a challenge. Sea gulls were nowhere to be found, and the remaining chunks were too large for them to handle. Eventually, the highway crews buried most of the carcass on the beach, effectively ending the spectacle.
