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  • Whale Carcass Feared Ready to Explode

    Whale Carcass Feared Ready to Explode

    Residents of Trout River in Newfoundland, Canada fear that a blue whale carcass that washed ashore last week may be ready to explode. The stinky, 82-foot-long cetacean has been expanding due to a buildup of various gasses, and might go by the way of a putrefied sperm whale that exploded in the Faroe Islands last November.

    Emily Butler, Trout River town manager, commented, “The whale is blowing up. It looks as if it’s a big balloon, from a distance. There is a possibility as well, with all these gases inside the whale, that it may possibly explode…That’s a major concern for us.”

    Trout River, pop. 600, had asked for a hand in removing the carcass from provincial and federal government agencies, but were told that they have to deal with the whale themselves. Butler added, “I wouldn’t want to direct anybody to actually remove this animal you know, under the town’s responsibility because we don’t have the expertise to do such a thing. I’m also hearing that DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) would seem to take this as being an interference with navigation if it’s taken back out to the ocean.”

    The blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever existed, sometimes reaching 100 feet in length. and weighing almost 200 tons. Trout River residents are already complaining of the stench of the whale, which would be compounded if it blew up. Though, it would appear that some sort of gaseous release will occur regardless of how the situation is handled.

    During the putrefaction process of a dead animal, various gasses begin to build up within the abdominal cavity of the carcass, specifically methane, sometimes resulting in animal explosions. These foul forces of nature are rare, though not unprecedented. Here is a clip of the Faroe Islands explosion:

    It is not yet clear how Trout River plans to dispose of their whale, and Butler said, “We’re really concerned about the smell from this. We are also concerned with the health aspect of this animal being on the beach line.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Exploding Whale Carcass Video (GRAPHIC)

    A putrefied whale carcass that washed ashore on the Faroe Islands exploded in a biologist’s face, as he attempted to cut into the 45-foot mass of dead meat.

    Marine biologist Bjarni Mikkelsen, of the National Museum of the Faroe Islands, was charged by the island government with the task of dressing the animal, in hopes of eventually putting its skeleton on display. Mikkelsen, wearing a full-body latex suit, approached the sperm whale, and what happened next is disgusting.

    Gross:

    Mikkelsen commented on the blown-up whale, “The animal was more than two days old when we took it so we knew there would be some pressure on the inside, but nothing like what happened.” During the putrefaction process, various gasses begin to build up within the abdominal cavity of a carcass, specifically methane, sometimes resulting in animal explosions. These foul forces of nature are rare, though not unprecedented.

    One of the more famous exploding whale incidents occurred in Florence, Oregon, in 1970. Though, the explosion in that instance wasn’t due to a buildup of putrefied juices; The Oregon Highway Division blew up the dead sperm whale (it turned out to be a sperm whale, even though the Highway Division called it a gray whale) with dynamite. The explosion ejected tons of filthy whale bits over 800 feet, showering onlookers with the fleshy detritus.

    Below is another revolting exploding whale clip, of the 1970 incident:

    Incidentally, the Faroe Islands are an island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the remote land is approximately 540 square miles.

    The islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish Realm since 1948, and have taken control over most domestic matters over the years. Still, like with most protectorates, Denmark handles military defense, policing, justice, currency and foreign affairs.

    Here’s an excellent documentary on the Faroe islands:

    Image via YouTube.