The exploding whale and Linnman's TV segment have now become legendary, and gained over 1 million views on YouTube. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department says based on its size, it was a male, but not yet fully-mature. Claim: In 1970, the Oregon Department of Transportation attempted to dispose of a whale carcass by blowing it up. For the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds.". The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department want to inform it is against federal law to take pieces from a whale carcass. In what was called a "controlled explosion," they used a … Havel says they’re asking people to stay away. A spokesperson for the Oregon State Parks Department, Chris Havel, says there are no plans to do anything with the carcass. It has been 50 years since a 45-foot sperm whale was exploded on a beach in Florence, Oregon, an incident that would become what most people consider to be America’s first-ever viral news story. However, the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 continues to makethis a very challenging time. An endangered species of whale washed up Saturday on an Oregon beach near Bandon. On November 12, 1970, residents of the small town of Florence, Oregon … The journalist who covered the story is still talking about it 50 years later. “So far this year, we’ve documented three dead gray whales and one dead sperm whale along the Oregon Coast, which is relatively normal,” Rice said. The need for strong, independent local journalism is more urgent than ever. It's been 50 years since an 8-ton sperm whale washed up on the beach in Florence, Oregon. Josephine County reports 10th death since the start of the pandemic. This Thursday (Nov. 12) marks the golden anniversary of one of the oddest incidents in Oregon history: the explosion of a dead whale in Florence. Will Oregon Decriminalizing Drug Possession Make Street Drugs Cheaper? The idea was that rotting whale … Decades later, the bizarre event is celebrated as a point of pride for the town. It’s been 50 years since the Oregon State Highway Division famously blew up a beached, dead sperm whale in a debacle that led to raining chunks of … Oregon is celebrating a special anniversary on Thursday: the 50-year commemoration of when highway workers there blew up a dead whale. WW NEEDS YOU. Related: Florence Has Named a Park After the Legendary 1970 Whale Explosion. Oregon Historical Society has released newly restored footage of the bizarre, and kind of disgusting, event, Florence Has Named a Park After the Legendary 1970 Whale Explosion, Oregon Expected to Receive 228,400 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses by Month’s End. On November 12, 1970, the Oregon Department of Transportation blew up a dead whale that had washed up on a Florence beach. The idea was that rotting whale would be easier to dispose of if it was first blasted into smaller bits. Bud Pierce Declares His Candidacy. This is about an event 50 years ago that you may never have heard of, the removal of a dead whale from a beach in Florence, Oregon on Nov. 12, 1970. On Nov. 12, 1970, the Oregon Highway Division decided to remove an 8-ton sperm whale from a Florence beach by blowing it up with dynamite. The 10 minutes of KATU's raw footage maintains the nostalgic grain of the film, and includes some much more grotesque shots than what made it into the original broadcast, including one where a bulldozer pushes the partially obliterated whale carcass into a sand pit. Sad. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department says based on its size, it was a male, but not yet fully-mature. Larry Bacon, 79, was a new reporter at The Register-Guard on that fateful day in 1970 when Oregon highway officials blew up a rotting sperm whale on a beach near Florence, Ore. The decision on how to discard the thing is the stuff of legend. In November 1970, the town of Florence, Oregon decided to blow up an 8-ton whale carcass that had washed up on the beach. Thursday marks … Huge chunks of blubber were blown into the air, scattering screaming onlookers and crushing a car. – A dead whale has washed ashore several miles south of Florence. News reporter Paul Linnman became a icon for his role in the event. Oregon State Park rangers, the Oregon State Police, Oregon State University, Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and representatives of the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and NOAA Fisheries responded. 1. Curry County reports 20 new cases of Covid-19, Oregon reports 1,440 new COVID-19 cases, and 13 new deaths. Ursula K. Le Guin’s Fans Roasted a Clothing Company on Twitter After It Asked the Late Author to Model Its Leggings, A Dozen Oregon Republican Lawmakers Urged the Attorney General to Support Texas Lawsuit Undermining U.S. Election Results. Copyright © 2020 Allen Media Broadcasting, LLC All Rights Reserved. News reporter Paul Linnman became a icon for his role in the event. They decided to obliterate it using 20 cases -- half a ton -- of dynamite. By Brian Bull • Nov 10, 2020. A necropsy will be led Sunday, September 6 by Oregon State University, World Vets, and Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research. More information on Sei Whales is available online, All content © copyright KDRV. Fifty years ago, an Oregon news report captured the incredible demolition of a whale carcass. I Tried Microdosing With Four Different Psychedelic Drugs. The explosion threw whale flesh over 800 feet (240 metres) away. While alive when it first came ashore, the Sei whale was stranded by the tide and died Saturday evening. A 45-foot dead Pacific Gray Whale washed ashore in Florence, Oregon, on November 9, 1970, and sat there for three days, rotting and stinking. The decision on how to discard the thing is the stuff of legend. A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred in Florence, Oregon in November 1970, when the Oregon Highway Division (now the Oregon Department of Transportation) blew up a decaying sperm whale with dynamite in an attempt to dispose of its rotting carcass. Love. A widely reported case of an exploding whale occurred in Florence, Oregon, in November 1970, when the Oregon Highway Division (now the Oregon Department of Transportation) blew up a decaying sperm whale with dynamite in an attempt to dispose of its rotting carcass. Today, the Oregon Historical Society released its pristine update of the 16 mm print original, which has been under the museum's care since the 1980s. None of dead gray whales found this spring on Oregon and Washington beaches were entangled in fishing or crabbing lines, however. Please support the city we loveby joining Friends of Willamette Week. Oregon state park officials determined it had died … An eight-ton 45-foot long whale washed up on the beach near Florence and, after a few days, started to decay and cause quite an odor. Attendees weren't just splattered with raining blubber—they were in danger of injury. 1. Here’s What Happened. In the clip, Linnman underscores the scene's deapan absurdity with punny lines like, "The sand dunes there were covered with spectators and land-loving newsmen, shortly to become land-blubber newsmen. 1. While alive when it first came ashore, the Sei whale was stranded by the tide and died Saturday evening. A 45-foot dead Pacific Gray Whale washed ashore in Florence, Oregon, on November 9, 1970, and sat there for three days, rotting and stinking. PORTLAND NEEDS WILLAMETTE WEEK. An Oregon town has named a park after a whale that the state blew up 50 years ago. Today, we’ve reached the … The 40-foot (12-meter) dead whale washed up Saturday, The Oregon ian/OregonLive reported. Newsman recalls infamous Oregon whale blast on 50 years later The necropsy will allow marine mammal biologists to collect samples to try to determine what may have caused the animal to strand. After the necropsy, the animal will be buried on the beach. Witnesses said the whale was still alive when it beached, but by the time experts arrived it was no longer breathing, the third gray whale to show up dead or dying on Oregon’s coast this year. Prominent Anti-Vaccine Pediatrician Dr. Paul Thomas Has License Suspended by the Oregon Medical Board, Oregon Governor Imposes Statewide “Freeze” to Curb COVID-19 Spread, Restricting Bars and Restaurants to Takeout Service, Some Oregon Republicans Are Reluctant to Reveal Their Thanksgiving Dinner Plans, Multnomah County Records 715 COVID Cases in Two Days, The 2022 Governor’s Race is Officially Underway: Dr. Funny. "Exploding Whale Memorial Park" in Florence, Oregon, is named for the explosive event of Nov. 12, 1970, when local officials blew up a beached and decomposing sperm whale … BANDON,Ore.-- The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has tentatively identified a 38-foot Sei whale . A still from the November 12, 1970 blast that was supposed to vaporize a dead whale, but created a reeking avalanche of blubber chunks instead. Blubber and chunks of dead whale rained from the sky, striking spectators and cars. KATU-TV sent reporter Paul Linnman to capture the scene. Oregon highway workers had to find a way to dispose of the rotting carcass of a 45-foot-long, eight ton whale in Florence, the closest beach town to Eugene, on Nov. 12, 1970. A report by KATU-TV on officials' decision to blow up an 8-ton dead whale on an Oregon beach in 1970 went on to become an early viral video. KATU/YouTube Reporter Paul Linnman stands in front of the carcass that’s about to be detonated in Oregon’s infamous exploding whale incident of 1970. A necropsy will be led Sunday, September 6 by Oregon State University, World Vets, and Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research. 0. On Nov. 12, 1970, the Oregon Highway Division decided to remove an 8-ton sperm whale from a Florence beach by blowing it up with dynamite. Gray whale and humpback whale casualties from entanglement in commercial and tribal fishing gear have been a growing concern for federal officials, certain environmental groups and the fishing industry lately. Per the Willamette Week , a 45-foot, 8-ton sperm whale … There are many things to celebrate this week—including, of course, the 50th anniversary of Oregon's whale explosion. Attendees weren't just splattered with raining blubber—they were in danger of injury. The results were truly explosive. We'll send you a newsletter with what you need to know every week. Shannon Gormley is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Fifty years ago, an Oregon news report captured the incredible demolition of a whale carcass. A plan to blow the whale carcass up in an effort to dispose of it went horribly wrong. Wow. This Thursday—the exploding whale's 50th anniversary—OHS will stream a free talk between Linnman and museum director Kerry Tymchuk on Zoom. She covers local and non-local music in Portland, and writes for Baltimore City Paper whenever she's visiting her hometown. The whale was found stranded on the Oregon coast, south of Bandon Saturday afternoon. Generated: 2019-12-31 11:00:03pm, West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Multi-year Study To Prevent Whale Entanglements Off Oregon Coast, Whale stranded on Oregon coast euthanized after rescue efforts fail, Thousands of gray whales migrate north along the Oregon coast during 'Spring Whale Watch Week', Police: Tips Helped Identify Woman Found Dead on Oregon Coast, Missing Washington Woman Found Dead on Oregon Coast, Gray Whale Migration Provides Whale Watching Opportunities, Oregon Whale Watch Week Begins With Livestream, Oregon reports 16th day in a row of a thousand or more cases, 6 new deaths, Jackson County reports 90 new COVID-19 cases, one new death, Several people stabbed and 33 arrested as 'Stop the Steal' protesters and counterprotesters clash in Washington, DC. Now, it also has a 4k digital restoration. The explosion threw whale flesh over 800 feet (240 metres) away. Back in November 1970, a dead, 45-foot-long whale washed ashore on a beach in Florence, Oregon. A 45-foot dead Pacific Gray Whale washed ashore in Florence, Oregon, on November 9, 1970, and sat there for three days, rotting and stinking. The 38-foot sei whale died that evening after it was stranded on the sand by the tide. 0. The 75 or so people who had gathered on the shore just south of Florence, Oregon, on November 12, 1970 stood at a safe distance and waited for … Angry. OHA's statement on the Coronavirus vaccine, Oregon officials preparing for vaccine delivery, but many challenges remain, Jackson County Public Health Reports 65 New COVID-19 Cases, Western States Approves safety of Pfizer vaccine, Trump raised firing Barr in White House meeting on Friday, Oregon State, Oregon on College GameNight, Coronavirus Vaccines Are Expected to Come to Oregon, Dutch Bros donates more than $280K to Phoenix-Talent Fire Relief Fund, Health Alert: COVID-19 during cold & flu season. FLORENCE, Oregon (KGO) -- You may have heard about the exploding dead whale of Florence, Oregon. 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