The Crazy But True Story Behind This New Oregon Park's Name
By Catherine Armstrong|Published July 17, 2020
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
There’s a brand new park in the seaside town of Florence, and it has the craziest name you’ve ever heard. Even more crazy? The true story that happened here in 1970. If you haven’t heard how Exploding Whale Memorial Park got its name, you’re about to find out.
A new city park in Florence opened in June 2020, and its name is definitely unique. When the city built the park, it asked residents to submit possible names. After narrowing it down, residents all voted on their favorite. The result? Exploding Whale Memorial Park.
The name refers to an actual event that occurred right here in Florence in 1970.
In early November of 1970, the carcass of a sperm whale washed up on the beach just south of Florence. The eight-ton carcass was rotting, and officials knew they couldn't just leave it there.
They considered burying the whale, but that was a monumental task, and no one was very eager to cut up the decaying, smelly flesh and dig a huge hole.
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The Oregon State Highway Division, the agency responsible for overseeing the beaches, brought in experts who decided to blow the whale up into smaller pieces. They figured that would solve the problem of a huge, stinky carcass, and also create a feast for birds and scavenger animals. A win-win situation!
Engineers brought in a half-ton of dynamite and placed it all around the whale. How did they decide that a half-ton was the right amount to use? They guessed.
On November 12th, people gathered on the beach to watch. Luckily, spectators and news crews were kept back about a quarter mile from the carcass before the dynamite was detonated.
The dynamite blast blew pieces of the carcass 100 feet into the air, and it rained down chunks of charred whale blubber and buckets of blood all over the place. People ran screaming for cover as the horrific bits of carnage fell from the sky.
Blood and debris covered the beach, and some of the larger chunks of whale flesh damaged vehicles, even crushing the roof of one car parked up on the road above the beach.
Unfortunately, the blast didn't destroy the entire carcass, and the birds were all scared away by the dynamite, so they weren't even around to dine on their whale dinners. The remains of the whale were buried after all, and 50 years later, a new little park in Florence memorializes the whale and the mark it made on the town's history.
Check out this old footage posted on YouTube by Bailey James to see the incident.
Today, when whale carcasses wash up on Oregon coast beaches, they’re immediately buried.
Exploding Whale Memorial Park is nestled on the banks of the Siuslaw River, and has a nice walking path and put-in access for canoes and kayaks. Visitors also enjoy grassy areas, picnic shelters, and views of the dunes across the river.
Do you remember when the exploding whale incident happened here in Florence? Share your memories with us in the comments.
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