On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1970, a 45-foot sperm whale washed up on the Oregon coast near Florence, leaving officials with a problem they did not know how to solve. The carcass was too large to move and too dangerous to leave as it began to decompose along the shoreline.

The state decided to use dynamite to remove it, but nothing went as planned. The blast sent whale blubber high into the air and across the beach, damaging cars and forcing onlookers to run for cover.

Jesse Edwards shares the wild and true story of the Oregon exploding whale.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)