Dead Whale Closes Lighthouse Access
By Sue Clark on Mar 9, 2009 in News 
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Over the past weekend, Coast Guard and Oregon Park officials have been monitoring a stranded, possibly injured whale near Florence, Oregon. Unfortunately, the debilitated fin whale did not make it, and has died, washing up on the beach just south of Heceta Head Lighthouse.
Because the rare fin whale is an endangered species, Federal law states it is illegal to tamper with, alter or dispose of a whale carcass.
Photo From Oregon Parks and Recreation
The whale washed ashore at Devil’s Elbow State Park, and the Oregon Parks and Recreatio Department has closed the site due to concerns about the safety of visitors, both from the problems of touching a dead animal and worries about the surf. Curious onlookers were causing traffic problems by jamming the narrow road into the park along with a very small space for parking.
Because this road also is the only access to the Heceta Head Lighthouse (Keeper’s House shown in photo above), the lighthouse is also closed to visitors until further notice. Which won’t be until the carcass either washes out to sea or is buried onsite in the sand.
From a story at the Beach Connection comes this interesting little fact about another beached whale removal in Florence.
Florence is the notorious location of the “exploding whale” episode of 1970. Back then, the Highway Department (which later became Oregon Department of Transportation) decided the best way to get rid of a massive whale carcass was to dynamite one side of it, which in theory was supposed to send the blasted chunks towards the ocean.
Instead, as seen in what is perhaps one of the most famous Internet downloads of all time, it simply blew chunks of the whale all over the crowd, including a disgusting mist of whale guts. One large chunk totaled a car in the nearby parking lot.
Story and video of the explosion on KATU-TV’s website.
Let us hope that the Oregon Department of Transportation does not decide to try it with this one. If that video (I hope you watched it) didn’t make you laugh and/or cry, can you imagine what it would be like if they tried it with a whale that is second only in size to the blue whale, as is the fin whale?
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2 Comment(s)
By Dominique on Mar 9, 2009 | Reply
Well, you warned us…but I had to watch the video anyway! Ewwww…
Hopefully the Oregon DOT folks will come up with a better solution this time around.
Well, this isn’t a problem I’ve heard occurring at any of our Great Lakes lights.
By Sue Clark on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
Well, I’ve seen some pretty big muskies on the Great Lakes. And how about some of those carp?
Seriously, I cannot imagine the horror of whale parts falling over over me.