Author's Note: We originally published this last year on this date. However, it's just so great that we'll probably publish it every year until the end of the digital age.
On November 12, 1970, the Oregon Highway Division set out to rid the beach near Florence of the 45 foot long rotting carcass of a sperm whale. Collaborating with the US Navy, ODOT crews stuffed the carcass with a half ton of dynamite, hoping to fragment it into pieces small enough to be cleaned from the beach by scavenging seaside beasts.
Upon the detonation of the explosive charges, one reporter was heard to remark that "the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds." One hunk of whale was reported to have landed on a car, smashing it pretty good. A significant portion of sperm whale carcass remained on the beach, and had to be cheerfully hand-collected by ODOT employees.
In a related incident, a slightly annoyed bowl of petunias was reported also to have been exploded just up the beach.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, The Exploding Whale Incident.
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