The Exploding Whale of Florence

In November 1970, an 8-ton, 45-foot sperm whale carcass washed ashore near Florence, Oregon. Local authorities, unsure how to dispose of it, consulted the highway division, which proposed dynamiting it—reasoning the seagulls would eat the scattered remains. Despite warnings from marine biologists, they packed the carcass with half a ton of dynamite. The explosion was spectacular—and catastrophic. Whale blubber rained down over a quarter-mile radius, crushing a car and showering spectators. The blast mostly hollowed out the whale, leaving most of the carcass intact. Cleanup crews had to bury the remains anyway. The incident was captured on film and became an early viral video after appearing on the internet in the 1990s. It's now a case study in governmental incompetence and has inspired similar terrible ideas worldwide. Modern protocol involves cutting up whale carcasses or towing them to sea. Oregon's highway department reportedly received whale-themed gag gifts for decades afterward.