11/12/2025
Who remembers this? For those of you not from Oregon or familiar with this legendary explosion, you really need to read the story below ⬇️
November 12, 1970
🐋 The Situation
A 45-foot, 8-ton s***m whale had washed up dead on the beach near Florence. The carcass began to rot and smell terrible, and city officials needed to figure out how to get rid of it.
💡 The Plan
At the time, the Oregon Highway Division (now ODOT) was in charge of the beaches. Their engineer, George Thornton, decided the best way to deal with the whale was to blow it up with dynamite — yes, really.
The idea was that the explosion would vaporize most of the whale, and the smaller remaining pieces would be eaten by seagulls and crabs. They used half a ton of dynamite (about 20 cases) — far more than was sensible.
💥 The Explosion
Onlookers gathered at a safe distance, and a news crew from KATU-TV in Portland filmed the event. When the dynamite went off, the blast sent huge chunks of blubber flying hundreds of feet in every direction.
• One massive piece crushed a car parked nearly a quarter mile away.
• People were covered in bits of whale fat.
• The smell was overwhelming.
• The seagulls? They didn’t come near the place for days.
🎥 The Aftermath
The cleanup ended up being much harder than before the explosion — the whale wasn’t gone, just spread out over a large area.
KATU reporter Paul Linnman’s news segment became legendary for its dry, hilarious commentary, especially his closing line:
“It might be concluded that should a whale ever wash ashore in Lane County again, those in charge will not only remember what to do — they’ll certainly remember what not to do.”
🐋 Legacy
The “exploding whale” has become a piece of Oregon folklore.
• Florence even commemorated it in 2020 with a park named “Exploding Whale Memorial Park.”
• The original footage has been viewed millions of times online.
Don't forget tomorrow is exploding whale day!
Florence, Oregon