Exploding Whales

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I can still hardly believe this story is true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale
http://www.snopes.com/critters/disposal/whale.htm

The whale was already dead.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

That picture on wikipedia is kind of...scary.

 

[Jdvn1]

... Yow.

 

[Crothian]

Old news

 

[Jdvn1]

That picture is kind of disturbing, though.

"... There's a whale in there?"

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Old news

Old news, but strange enough to always deserve discussion.

 

[Raging Epistaxis]

Old though the news may be, I seem to have missed these stories before.

I was more struck by (pardon the pun) the image of the dead bull sperm whale that exploded while being towed through the streets of Tainan, Taiwan. The story was further down the wiki page for those who might not have seen it.

Imagine being one of the curious bystanders (perhaps the one sitting on the scooter in the middle of the splatter zone) when that 50ton gas bag let the ultimate one rip...

I mean, if someone was towing a sperm whale through my town I'd sure want to be there to watch. Then - UGH!

Ok, not too likely to find a sperm whale a thousand miles inland, but you get the idea anyway.

R E

 

[BiggusGeekus]

On a more philisophical note...


Exactly what does it say about our society that an exploding sperm whale can be dismissed as "old news"?

 

[Umbran]

Exactly what does it say about our society that an exploding sperm whale can be dismissed as "old news"?

Exactly what does it say about our society that gas buildup in a corpse can be considered "news"?

 

[tylerthehobo]

Uh, wow, I know this is the off topic forum, but this is waaaaay off topic.

Fwiw, I first saw this story on the Internet in '95, and have since seen at least two "real video" type shows on TV that have aired this thing as if it were a recent event worth noting. I think it's just going to go down in history as one of the first big uses of the internet to spread useless info that we all, like it or not, find absolutely fascinating. It still takes my breath away.

Any other similar clips that have made it around for...wow...a decade now?