A whale of a problem much easier this time around

**Dakota Valkyrie** · March 10th, 2009, 08:35 AM

.
This isn't so much about THIS whale getting buried... it's more about what a previous dead whale.

Finding a place to bury a huge whale is as complicated as it sounds.

That's according to marine mammal expert Jim Rice, a faculty research assistant at the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center.

"There are some logistical problems with moving a 50-ton whale off the beach and finding the proper site for burial," Rice said.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department decided Monday to try to bury the carcass at the beach, if crews could find a proper spot.

Florence-based Leisure Excavating, working with state parks staff members, buried the approximately 30-ton, 55-foot-long carcass in an 11-foot-deep hole above the high tide line, said Chris Havel, a parks spokesman. There it should decompose naturally.
[...]

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...heceta_he.html

Seems like a logical thing to do, doesn't it? But that is only because they learned their lesson. On Nov. 12, 1970, workers from the Oregon Highway Division decided that the best way to get rid of a dead, decaying whale was to blow it up with dynamite. Here's the actual news footage:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ahz1Nv4HYQ"]YouTube - exploding whale[/ame]

**Jaded** · March 10th, 2009, 09:11 AM

They excavated an 11-foot deep hole yesterday and buried the whale on the beach. =)

I love that old video though.....funny shit!

**thebooblady** · March 12th, 2009, 11:10 AM

What would have been wrong with hauling it back out to sea and letting it decompose and be eaten by other ocean dwelling creatures?

**FlamingFox** · March 12th, 2009, 11:29 AM

ROTFLMAO! That video is hilarious! Thanks DV! I laughed so hard when I seen the smashed car! Thank goodness no one was hurt from that! Crazy!

**MichaelJCheaney** · March 12th, 2009, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by thebooblady

What would have been wrong with hauling it back out to sea and letting it decompose and be eaten by other ocean dwelling creatures?

I don't think you could really do that TBL, because you would have to find a ship to carry it out, a crane to lift it onto the ship, (because remember it weighs 100000lbs) and because this is by a public beach the water will be very shallow and trying to find a ship or a boat to take it out to sea could be tough.

I think they did the right thing here.....

But that video from 1970 was rather "explosive' wasn't it?

**Dakota Valkyrie** · March 12th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Since dragging it out to sea would seem the logical thing to do, I am sure they either have attempted it in the past or have logistical problems.

When they bury a whale, do they leave a big sand pile on top of it so when it decomposes as sink hole doesn't occur?