# The Infamous Exploding Whale Video **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319 "2002-06-04T15:29:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/1 "2002-06-04T15:29:19Z")
For those that havn’t seen it (or for those who want to see it again) here it is: [The Infamous Exploding Whale](http://www.perp.com/whale/) Every couple of months, when I need a good laugh, I will fire it up. BOOM!!..“O no! O No!”…“Run!!” LOL! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/2 "2002-06-04T17:31:48Z")
I’d love to see an exploding whale but even that ain’t gonna get me to install Quicktime or Real Player. No way. Anyone have it in plain old MPG? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/3 "2002-06-04T17:38:00Z")
I’ve known about that video for years… It’s an _extreme_ hoot, and one of Dave Berry’s better columns, too. The Three Stoodges do beach clean-up! Heh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/4 "2002-06-04T19:47:04Z")
I laughed out loud at Barry’s column. Repeatedly. “…apparently on the theory that whales and highways were the same in terms of being very large objects.” Or something like that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/5 "2002-06-04T20:32:30Z")
Sailor: What do you have against Quicktime? Quicktime is an Apple product you know, not Microsoft. 😉 But if you must be an .mpg-only guy, here is something to chew on: [Donkey Love](http://www.dc101.com/timages/article/frens2.mpeg). I’ve seen it 20+ times now and I still LMAO ever time! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/6 "2002-06-04T22:06:14Z")
It’s hard to believe that anyone ever thought blowing the thing up was a good idea. I wonder whether the missing seagulls weren’t also blasted to bits. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@Barrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/7 "2002-06-04T22:55:26Z")
That was marvelous. Just marvelous. [Oh, and please note that my signature being what it is is completely coincidental]. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/8 "2002-06-05T01:33:53Z")
I wanna know why that guy was taking off his pants and running away? ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/9 "2002-06-05T01:47:22Z")
[Here’s a Windows Media Player version](http://www.howeird.com/whale.html). ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/10 "2002-06-05T13:58:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jinwicked \* > \*\*I wanna know why that guy was taking off his pants and running away? \*\* Good question jinwicked! The world may never know. Taking a dump, or bestiality are the only two things I can think of. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/11 "2002-06-05T14:58:15Z")
When I first saw this video, it made me cry. ☹ It still makes me very sad. What a disrespectful end for a magnificent creature. Honey ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/12 "2002-06-05T16:35:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Honey \* > \*\*When I first saw this video, it made me cry. ☹ > > It still makes me very sad. What a disrespectful end for a magnificent creature. > > Honey \*\* Huh? The whale was already dead. Why should it matter whether the whale is blown up by dynamite, or ripped to pieces by sharks, or slowly pecked away over the course of several weeks by thousands of seagulls? ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/13 "2002-06-05T18:10:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fingolfin \* > \*\* > > Huh? The whale was already dead. Why should it matter whether the whale is blown up by dynamite, or ripped to pieces by sharks, or slowly pecked away over the course of several weeks by thousands of seagulls? \*\* I am aware that the whale was already dead. IMHO it was a sad video. Although I don’t claim to know of any alternatives as to what else they could have done with the carcass. I’m under the impression that dragging it out to sea where it’s fellow creatures could recycle it was out of the question due to the weight of the body. Honey ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/14 "2002-06-05T22:01:56Z")
I don’t know. I might go for the being blown up, just for the sake of the expressions on peoples’ faces ( :eek: the raining exploding whale smiley) if my kids were safely out at sea, and wouldn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/15 "2002-06-06T02:48:56Z")
If I were a dead whale, I’d enjoy the irony of raining my bits down on an unsuspecting humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/16 "2002-06-06T02:57:06Z")
I watched that and laughed like an idiot for at least 10 minutes. And yes I was confused by thr guy taking off his pants too. Next time I see a whale, I’m going to trabe with \*\*Barrett ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/17 "2002-06-06T03:05:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Honey \* > \*\* > > I am aware that the whale was already dead. IMHO it was a sad video. Although I don’t claim to know of any alternatives as to what else they could have done with the carcass. > > I’m under the impression that dragging it out to sea where it’s fellow creatures could recycle it was out of the question due to the weight of the body. > > Honey \*\* My understanding is that they had dragged it out to sea twice, but each time the tide washed it back ashore. For all of its mass, it was still rather bouyant. (I seem to recall reading somewhere that dead whales have been known to float for over a week before sinking, but have no specific cite to confirm. ) ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-infamous-exploding-whale-video/112319/18 "2002-06-06T13:53:41Z")
Interesting side-note: A whale was blown up in Ocean City, Maryland with dynamite near the turn of the century. Same thing happened. Too much dynamite. Whale pieces went everywhere. Houses covered. Rotten smell for months. 😕