In early November 1970 a dead sperm whale washed ashore on the beach near Florence, Oregon.  State officials were perplexed as to how to handle the 45-foot long 8 ton whale  decomposing on the shore. The Oregon Highway Division, with whom jurisdiction fell, considered the options then  after meeting with the US Navy  decided on the best way to remove the foul-smelling rotting carcass: Dynamite! The thought was that pieces would be dispersed along the beach and consumed by shorebirds and other small animals. The Circle of Life, with just a little high-explosive nudge.  

On the afternoon of November 12th 1970 the plan was put into action. The operation was led by an engineer named George Thornton.  He was put in the position because his supervisor was on vacation at the time. Not knowing how much dynamite to use, Thornton decided to overcompensate the amount needed in order to make sure the whale would be completely destroyed.  A charge of one-half ton (450kg) was selected. A military advisor warned that they were using way too much explosives; that only 20 sticks (3.8kg) was needed. The lead engineer scoffed at the advisor and at 3:45pm local time, as a crowd of onlookers and local media gathered on the beach close by, the countdown began

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This may be a good time for a brief history lesson of whaling. Before the Industrial Revolution and through the Gilded Age, whales were hunted not for food but mainly for their oil. Before electricity and the use of fossil fuels like natural gas, petroleum, and kerosene it was whale oil lamps that  lit the world. Many a whaling ship at sea had been destroyed by fires or in explosions while carrying whale oil; extremely flammable and highly combustible whale oil. 

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BOOM!

The joyous cheers of the crowd that had just watched the awesome spectacle of a 45-foot long 8 ton sperm whale overpacked with with dynamite explode instantly turned into screams of abject terror as the  crowd realized they just watched the horrifying sight of a 45-foot long 8 ton sperm whale overpacked with dynamite explode. Chaos reigned as fiery chunks of molten whale blubber showered all onlookers within an 800 foot radius. Spectators fleeing for their lives took shelter underneath cars in the beach parking lot as a hail of dead whale flesh continuously fell upon them. One of the biggest pieces of charred whale blubber  thrown from the explosion landed squarely on a spectator’s  brand new car, completely destroying the vehicle.  A few people in the crowd were treated for minor burns, but thankfully no one was seriously injured. 

The explosion hadn’t completely annihilated the dead whale, in fact most of the whale carcass  remained in one giant piece that had fallen into a hole created by the blast. The expected arrival of scavenger birds didn’t happen either. The sound of the explosion and the searing heat had scared away any animal nearby. With dead sperm whale flavored egg on their faces, officials and engineers decided to burn and or bury what remained of the whale. 

Recently the city of Florence has christened a new park in the area named Exploding Whale Park

The State of Oregon has yet to dynamite  another beached whale