Exploding Whale of Florence episode artwork

EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 15 MIN

Exploding Whale of Florence

from History Dispatches · host Matt and McKinley Breen

In 1970, a 45 foot long, eight ton whale washed up on the beach near Florence, Oregon. Local officials weren’t sure what to do with the stinking, decomposing whale - so they decided to get rid of it by blowing it up with half a ton of dynamite. This is the story of the Exploding Whale of Florence. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale https://www.xplodingwhale.com/ https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/florence_whale_explosion/ https://davebarry.substack.com/p/the-exploding-whale Watch the whale blow up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6CLumsir34 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 20, 2026

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