The thought of an exploding whale sounds so outrageous that it must be an urban legend. An urban legend or an urban myth is a story which is passed through the years and is thought to be factual. Most urban legends are fictional stories that have been extremely distorted and exaggerated over time, however there are a few true stories thrown into the mix. In recent times, urban legends have been proliferated by the invention of the internet.

You are probably thinking that an exploding whale must be an exaggerated fictional story but in reality, while rare, it can happen. There are two very notable cases of exploding whales as well as a few lesser known cases. The most famous exploding whale story is that of the case that occured in Florence, Oregon in 1970. In November of 1970 an eight ton sperm whale beached itself in Florence and died. All Oregon beaches are under the jurisdiction of The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The task of disposing of the whale carcass was assigned to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), a sister agency. After careful thought and consideration the ODOT decided to used a half ton of dynamite to blow the whale up. Unfortunately the explosion sent large pieces of whale blubber into the air which landed some distance away and caused heavy damage to a car. Today beach managers responsible for disposing of whale carcasses tow the beached animals into the sea.

In Taiwan in 2004 a dead sperm whale exploded while being transported for educational purposes to a research center located in the city of Tainan. It was concluded that the whale exploded due to the pressure from a build up of gases in the animal as it began to decompose. Luckily, no one was injured when the whale exploded and sent blood and guts flying through the center of the city. Due to the incident, traffic in Tainan was backed up for hours while workers and shop owners tried to clean up the smelly mess, and it took an astonishing thirteen hours to get the whale strapped back on the truck to continue its journey to the research center. It was later discovered that the whale was struck by a large shipping vessel, weakening its back and later causing it to easily burst when the gases from decomposition built up.

While the story of exploding whales is a true story and not an urban legend, there are still many fictional stories circulating. Some of these legends you may recognize. One of the most well known is the story of Bloody Mary. It is said that if you stand in the bathroom in the dark and chant the name Bloody Mary while looking in the mirror she will appear. Then there is the story of the kidney thieves. Don't go out to the neighborhood bar and have one drink to many or you may wind up in a bathtub full of ice with only one kidney. Remember to check the back seat of your car before getting in. Legend has it that there may be someone hiding there just waiting to kill you. While many urban legends maintain a degree of plausability, and often contain a grain of truth, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction.

Resources:

The Exploding Whale

Urban Legends

Classic Urban Legends

Urban Legend Research Guide

Exploding Whale Photos

Mythbusters

The Infamous Exploding Whale

Whale Explosion In Taiwan

Urban Legends And Superstitions

How Urban Legends Work