Florence Exploded a Whale

August 11, 2025

Florence

A bizarre and legendary series of events began in Florence on the beach in November 9, 1970. A 45-foot, 8-ton sperm whale carcass washed ashore near Florence on Oregon’s south coast. A few days later, on November 12th, a plan was hatched about how to dispose of it [4] [6]. The whale’s decomposition was causing a significant stench, and local authorities needed a solution to remove the massive carcass from the beach.

The Oregon State Highway Division, responsible for managing the state’s beaches at the time, decided to dispose of the whale by using explosives [4] [6]. The plan was to use a half-ton of dynamite to blow the whale into smaller pieces, which would then presumably be dispersed by seagulls and other scavengers, or washed back into the ocean [4] [6]. George Thornton, the Assistant District Highway Engineer, was in charge of the operation. He consulted with U.S. Navy munitions experts before proceeding [4].

On the day of the explosion, a crowd of spectators and reporters gathered at a safe distance to watch the event. However, the explosion did not go as planned. Instead of disintegrating into small pieces, the whale exploded violently, sending large chunks of blubber flying through the air. One of these chunks was large enough to crush a parked car [4] [6]. The scene was chaotic, with people running to avoid falling debris and a pervasive, awful smell that lingered with the onlookers [6].

The incident was captured on camera by KATU television news reporter Paul Linnman, whose report included the memorable line, “the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds” [4]. The footage of the exploding whale became famous and has been viewed millions of times, turning the event into a viral sensation long before the era of social media [5].

Despite the initial intentions, the explosion was widely regarded as a failure in terms of its execution and outcome. The aftermath required further cleanup, as significant portions of the whale remained on the beach [5]. The incident taught local authorities a valuable lesson about dealing with beached whale carcasses, influencing future policies to favor burial over explosives [4].

The exploding whale story has since become a legendary and often humorous part of Oregon lore, celebrated in local culture and remembered as an example of a well-intentioned plan gone spectacularly wrong[1][2]. The town of Florence even commemorates the event with an “Exploding Whale Day” and has a park named “Exploding Whale Memorial Park” [1] [8].