Sunday, May 4, 2014

Why do Whales Explode?

The town of  Trout River, Newfoundland has a big problem.  What should the officials do with a 380,000 pound blue whale corpse that is stinking up their town?


Will the whale explode if they try to move it?  How will they get rid of that awful stench?  What is killing the blue whales?  What are some other occasions when dead blue whales have been hard to dispose?  Read the article and let me know what you think.  How should the town of Trout River get rid of the whale?


http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/blue-whale-interactive/#close-modal

46 comments:

  1. I think this is a cool and unusual event. I feel bad for the people around Trout River, as the description of the smell is really disgusting. What to do to help with the smell? Deodorant, cologne and a prayer. I just don;t know how they are going to move it. A giant crane? slowly and carefully pushing it to the ocean? I don't know. I think the more important question is how big and deadly would an exploding whale be? Would there be fatal injury? or would the tench just hang in the air for a while? There are a lot of questions, but unfortunately very few answers. I hope the people of the surrounding area can find a solution to this large blue problem.

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  2. Whales are some of the most interesting species of our world, and are potentially the most famous sea creature in the broad ecosystem of the ocean. Of course, like every organism, whales do eventually die, and with dying, they leave their colossal carcasses to decay. With huge decaying carcasses come huge decaying problems, however, and ever since a whale has landed in a small town of Newfoundland, locals have been on the edge of their seats to find out not only what would happen to the whale corpse, but whether or not it would explode. Due to the chemistry of its decomposing organs, whales have the strangely exciting potential to explode because of the build-up of gas inside of its body. This is not only comical and dangerous, but rather smelly. And so, the big question hangs over the locals: What will happen to the whale? Considering it is heavier than over 2,000 people, it would be very difficult to move, or even bury. Any rough handling could dance around the possibility of an explosion. In reality, the whale has become a timebomb--only much larger and smellier. Personally, I think the whale should be hauled back into the water. As explained in the article, when the whale returns to the ocean floor, it will become a life source for tons of organisms, and provide food that will stick around for about 30 years. This would not only rid the area of the smell, but rid the danger of explosion, but quite possibly give a group of underwater organisms a good ‘buffet’ for a huge amount of years.

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  3. A beached whale is uncommon but a beached blue whale is even more rare. The people of Trout River must be miserable with the smell. The article says it smells awful. As for disposing of the whale I think they should either bury it on site which is probably more work than it seems. I think that they should drag it back out to sea. This way all the organisms at the bottom of the ocean will have lots of food for many years and all the people of Trout River will not have to deal with the smell or the possibility of an exploding whale

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  4. Kyle Suvada- The people in Newfoundland have nothing to fear because if they wait long enough then the whale will naturally deflate natural gases that would otherwise explode. They will just have to live with the stench for now and when the whale is deflated enough they should move it out to sea and sink it. Its very sad that the whale population is decreasing and we should put forth efforts to preserve them and breed them. 380,000 is a lot of weight but a couple of tug boats and a few helicopters can do the job. They just need to stick harpoons in the whale and yank it to the ocean.

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  5. I think moving the whale would be detrimental to the health of the community. So moving the whale would be a risky. Since the article says it has started to deflate, moving it now might be easier than moving it before. But if they decide to move it the community needs to act quickly before it explodes. I think the best idea would be to get it into the ocean and let it sink to the bottom where it can decompose. Getting it to the open ocean is a huge problem. Once it gets off the shore a large ship can tow it far away from the shore and let it go. Possibly a crane could get it off the shore. I hope the town figures out this problem before the whale explodes.

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  6. When I read that whales could explode as they are decomposing, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of explosion it would be. Would it be a very large explosion that would be fatal? Or would it be a small explosion of the insides of the whale? According to the article, if the whale is moved, it could increase the chance of the explosion. I think the only way to get rid of the smell of the carcass is to get rid of it first. One of the only ways to safely get rid of it is to slowly push it back into the ocean. Of course, the smell would still exist. It would have to eventually just fade away. Situations like these don’t happen too often. This whale could have died of a natural cause, but maybe if this starts occurring more often, they will discover that there is something killing these whales.

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  7. Whale, all I can say is this is an unfortunate situation for the people of Trout River. After reading the articles, I believe that it is very possible for the whale to explode when it is moved. According to the National Geographic article, there is a specific reason why this whale could explode. As it lays there, gas builds up inside the whale as its stomach and viscera decompose; a massive throat pouch designed to fill with seawater forces the water out of a keratin plate used to filter food. This can be stimulated by people messing with it or workers trying to move it. As for removing the horrid dead whale stench, the best option would be to bury it and hope the smell goes in the ground with it. It was reported on March 19th, 2014 that 2 dead Sperm Whales washed up on a beach in the Shetland Islands. They were disposed of near Sanwick Beach where they were buried. While scientists don’t know exactly what caused this whale to be washed up on the beach, blue whales are most commonly killed by killer whales (orcas) Given the fact that this technique has been used successfully in numerous situations, it is my opinion that the town of Trout River should bury the whale.

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  8. In all honesty,disposing of the blue whale seems almost impossible. Moving it is extremely hard, since this mammal weighs as much as 40 elephants,and any activity that has to do with touching it may cause an explosion. Explosions happen when the contents decompose and build up with gas;thus, the explosion occurs. This has happened in Faroes and was caught on video (very Graphic). The attempt to bury is more appeasing, but this project could destroy the coastline. The stench is also hard to dispose of, since it tends to linger and cling to many things. These things do not happen at sea, since the whale falls to the bottom and its body slowly decomposes with the help of many other organisms. Decomposition may take 30 years, but Newfoundland does not have that much time. I certainly do not know what is best, so it is up to the citizens to come up with the best possible solution.

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  9. I really enjoyed the article. I also like whales. I think they will use a skill crane like the ones at arcades. Or if the skill crane doesn't work they could use a tractor to push it back in. If they can't move the whale, since it is already dead I think they should burn it. Even though the smell might be worse for a few days, it will at least be better in the end. I really hope they get the problem fixed because I can't imagine what it would smell like.

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  10. This article really showed a lot about what happens when a whale washes up shore. First of all, it probably would explode if moved to much. When whales are well and alive, they build up water and pressure and gas in their stomachs. Normally they release it but when they're dead, it all builds up and is pretty much ready to explode. Secondly, there is almost nothing you can do about the smell it gives off. Apparently it settles in very thickly whatever is near it which makes it hard to remove. Those interviewed in the article say that something like this happened 6 years ago and to this day there is still a faint smell in their cloths they wore. The disposing of the whale is difficult because the whale sinks in to the ground and 380000 pounds of whale fat is hard to move when ready to explode. Over all, whales washing up on shore are very unfortunate situations but not uncommon.

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  11. If anyone tries to move the dead whale, the chance of it exploding is definitely great. Since the gas inside of the whale builds up under pressure, it is a hazard to just leave on the beach, plus the smell would become intolerable. What would be the best way to get rid of the penetrating whale smell? I would try holding a scented candle/ Febreze/potpourri convention in the town ( I am actually being mostly serious when I suggest this). Back to the whales: Why are they dying in the first place? The answer ranges from old age to water pollution to starvation to an accident. Personally, if a dead whale does need to be disposed of, I favor burying, even though if I lived there I would never be able to go to that beach again without thinking about the giant decaying whale under the sand. If that was not a possibility, I would consider trying to push the whale back into the ocean by flooding that area of the beach.

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  12. Newfoundland has quite an issue at their hands! A large whale near society? Talk about difficult! After reading in on both the blue whale and another article about the disposal of whales, the whale does not seem to have as big of an explosion as we may be thinking. Like someone else said in a previous comment, it looks like whales explode on the inside, but that does not mean that it cannot become a hazard towards others. In the case of this blue whale, it would be a risk to move it; it is not impossible, but it would definitely not be an easy task per say. To remove the stench from the town citizens will either have to move the whale either far into the ocean -little by litte-, transport it to a hole or landfill, or simply leave the whale be. Because blue whales weigh about five humpback whales, it is probable that they are more prone to being injured by ships or boats. Realistically, there is most likely a mix of things that are killing the whales -pollution, whaling, and rigged sonar-, but who knows? Maybe there is a predator or something below that we are not yet aware of. There have been multiple occasions where sperm whales have been beached -like the one in Scotland-, but it is an uncommon sight for humans. Personally, I would say to slowly push the blue whale further out into the ocean to prevent others from tampering with it and to prevent the hassle of taking it out onto land. Hopefully the citizens of Trout River are staying strong!

    Article: http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/01/its-really-hard-get-rid-dead-beached-whales/357042/

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  13. The case of the decomposing blue whale in Newfoundland is unique not for the fact that it may explode, but for the fact that it is a blue whale, a very rare kind of whale. Sadly there are not many left and as we can see here, their numbers decrease every day. Instead of this magnificent mammal dying peacefully in the ocean and providing food and resources for fish for 30 years or more, it decays on a beach, filling the air with its stench. The people of Newfoundland are at a loss as to what to do with the large whale body. To move, or not to move, that is the question. If they touch the carcass they risk making it explode with the gases that have built up in the stomach, but they simply cannot leave it there as it is suffocating the town with its horrible smell. I suggest trying to push whale into the water, or even purposely exploding it. If everyone was cleared off the beach and a small explosive was placed on the whale which could be activated remotely, a cleanup crew could come in and pick up the pieces of the newly exploded whale. It would be messy but effective, and they would not have to worry about anyone getting hurt in the process.

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  14. This is a really hard decision to make because either they have a rotting smelly whale that will take decades to decay, or they can move it and risk the chances of it exploding. I don't think they will find a way to move the 380,000 pound whale and not have it explode. Moving that heavy of a whale would be extremely hard then add the risk factor of it possibly exploding. I do though think that they might come up with a way for it to decay faster, and smell less. I couldn't imagine the awful stench of the huge whale that would take years to go away. They will have to come up with a solution though or else everyone will move out of that town and surrounding towns.

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  15. Due to my own curiosity, I looked into these explosive whales on Youtube and may I just say, that was a huge mistake. Newfoundland has a huge issue on their hands and I've no clue how that should handle it properly. The risk is immense if they do choose to move the whale and contrary to that, the risk of not moving the whale is immense as well. At one end, they may cause the carcass to explode and at the other, they may have to suffer through the stench it exudes. While I'm no expert, I think it would be in everyone's best interest to lay down heavy-duty tarps around the carcass, attempt to move the whale, and be at the ready to clean up the insides of the whale (should it explode). Whatever they choose, I hope it ends well.

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  16. Well if they try to move the whale it might explode but if they leave it there the town will smell like a dead whale forever. But if they bring in big equipment to move it the equipment could cause severe damage. It seems that if no one interferes with the whale's body it shouldn't explode or hurt anyone in the process. If they just let the gas deflate out naturally and then either bury it nearby or take it out to sea and let it sink to the bottom like when a whale dies naturally they shouldn't have anymore problems, well, beside the smell.

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  17. Newfoundland has a problem on their hands that is quite unique. Though decomposing whales are nothing new, a decomposing blue whale is something a bit different since blue whales are endangered. Moving this whale off of the beach could trigger the explosion of the whale. The gasses building up in the whale make it unstable and unpredictable. Dragging the whale to the ocean would be the perfect solution if only there wasn't the high risk that it would explode during the move. I think that they evacuate the beach and then attempt to dig around the whale and create a hole where the whale could be pulled out to the water, or it could be buried.

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  18. Blue Whales are very important to the ocean ecosystem. Since they can eat as many as 40 million krill per day each, it is paramount that they survive as a species to maintain the balance of life within the world’s oceans. Personally, i find the projected results of whale extinction both appalling and interesting. First, the krill population would explode. While this would initially be very good for other organisms, the number of krill would be too large for the remaining consumers to handle. As numbers of krill exponentially increased, the uneaten carcasses of the tiny crustaceans would float to the surface, creating a film over the surface of the water, similar to a jellyfish bloom. This would block out sunlight to phytoplankton and effectively destroy the food chain by reducing the number of the all-important primary consumer.

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  19. If they try to remove the whale the possibility of it exploding is certain. Even the littlest movement of the whale might cause it to explode. Really, there would not be a way to rid of the stench. Ideally, we would want to find someway to get rid of the smell, but its something that has to dissipate over time. People have tried to use a cranes but that couldn't have work because blue whales are about 130 tons. If i were in control of what the Newfoundland people had to do, i would just let the whale deflate. If the townspeople were to complain then, they would have to pull through and deal with it. Its either that smell of the dead carcass or the smell of whale insides. After the whale deflates, i would then use a harpoon and stab the whale, Then drag it out to sea and let it sink to the bottom.

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  20. I think that the people of Trout River definitely should move that dead whale because IT"S DEAD, Rotting, and gross. I would be worried about the whale exploding because of the gases in its stomach and intestines, but I think that maybe if they put a sheet of plastic wrap or tarps over the whale to keep the exploding whale parts from going everywhere that would help . That may not work. I know that eskimos in Alaska eat and cut up and use whale meat and parts, maybe if the whale hasn't been dead for that long they can cut in up and then there will be less whale on the shore.
    The problem with the smell kind of stumps me....I think that once the whale is gone and there continues to be a smell, I would think that if you mixed up the sand or put new sand on top that would get rid of the bacteria covered sand with the smell.

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  21. I can not even imagine what the people of Newfoundland are experiencing. In the article they explained the smell staying in your sinuses and sticking to everything you own. I expect the stench to be unbearable. I think the main issue is the whale exploding. Because of its massive size, I do not think you can just leave it on the shore. On the National Geographic website, the average blue whale's length is compared to 3 school buses! The only solution I could think of would be having the citizens of Newfoundland leave the radius of the stench holding town. Then workers would carefully move the whale, possibly in a tarp to decrease the mess, and transport it to an area where it can be further removed. This will at least limit the civilians contact.

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  22. Wow, what a problem. Wouldn't want that by my house. To get rid of it though, I would leave the whale there until it naturally loses some if the gas built up in it. If people think a whole whale is gross, they'll probably hate one that's all over the place from an explosion. After that, I think they should try to get it out to sea where it will sink. Not only will this be easier than burying it, but it will eventually provide food for a lot of creatures, helping the natural process of life. Moving a giant whale would be hard, but trying to bury it would be a nightmare. All in all, they have a huge problem on their hands and I'm interested to see how they deal with it.

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  23. Based on the article, and background knowledge, I believe the best solution for the beached whale would be to return it to the ocean. Since, when a whale dies in the water, its body sinks to the bottom, it would create, like the text stated “an influx of food” for other organisms. Of course it would be difficult to move the enormous carcass, but it would have to have been removed either way since the smell of decomposing whale would only increase and linger for a very long time. Also, moving the whale would be risking an explosion, but if not triggered by any sort of contact, the gas build up inside the whale would likely lead it to explode naturally. With a situation like this, difficulties are inevitable, but the return to the ocean would at least benefit certain water dwelling organisms, along with minimizing the inconveniences of the town members.

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  24. The whale problem I completly bizzare, it's not every day you think the consequences of exploding whales that died and washed ashore. The main problem at hand is that the carcass is open to the public. They play with it take pictures on it, it's all twisted in its own way. This conclusion has led me to belive it should be fenced, or contained in some way. Next we would need to bury it in a lot of sand, I hope that beach was expecting a non suspicious outburst of a hill, with a carcass in it. Weird matters do call for weird solutions though

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  25. For me, this is the first time I have ever heard of something this bazaar and out there. I don't think anything is killing the whales in particular, but the cause could be a human made source. And to fix their problem I think that the people of the town should just blow-up the whale and have a day where they all spend it picking up whale pieces.

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  26. As humans, we sometimes forget that the world isn't all about us. It isn't our show to run, as it ran fine before we came to be. We shouldn't tamper with more than is necessary. Whales have been dying since they were first created! And nobody had to move the carcass; they just stayed right where they were. That's what the town should do. It isn't their job to mess with nature by messing with the whale. That being said, there should be measures taken to keep people away from the whale so they don't cause it to explode. It simply isn't human responsibility to fix everything. Things happen for a reason, and sometimes we just need to let that happen. The whale corpse will take care of itself, eventually decaying. In the meantime, residents will just have to live with the smell and ignore it. This isn't an issue, more than it is just a current event.

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  27. One time I was in a beach in new Hampshire, and this one beach we were driving in our car (Which we later learn didn't have four wheel drive and we ended up getting stuck on the beach, but that's another story) and we saw a particular sight. There was a washed up whale, much like the problem they're facing. But this one was small and was being eaten by birds so it was almost gone. But this is a big problem. But when I read that it was filled with gas, my first instinct was to burn it. I mean that might be bad for the air, but at least it will get rid of it. Or you could turn the entire situation into a frebreez commercial because apparently that spray could really work. Maybe they could like do weekly sprays. Yeah for yummy smelling.

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  28. Whales are some of the coolest creatures in the sea. They rule the seas the same way as us humans rule land. However whales are huge so when they end up eventually dying their carcuses could be an issue. It is rare that whales are beached but when they are it causes an awful stench and polution to towns near the beach. How we move theses can be another issue but we should respect these whales the same way we would respect a human and find them a better and more peaceful resting place.

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  29. That situation really sucks. i would hate to have this giant stinking whale sitting on a beach stanching up the town. They cant really move it because its too big and they cant pop it because it would smell too bad. i feel sorry for the people in that town and for once im glad i live in land locked illinois.

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  30. It is a possibility that the whale will explode. Ways to remove of the whale is to Barrie it on sight, or let it decompose naturally. A big danger that could be killing the whales is ships. I think that the people should be banned from the beach where the whale is until it has decomposed. I think this because it is dangerous for people, in case the whale does explode. Also, it would be respectful to let it die naturally and peacefully. Finding dead or alive blue whales beached on a beach is rare because they are almost extinct.

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  31. This article is very interesting! I never knew that whales can explode. The article says that if people try to move them, all the gas in their stomach causes their stomachs to explode. If people climb on them all the built up gas will burst. To get rid of the awful smell, the people wait for the whale to decompose. The people buried the whale in their place of death as well. One factor that is killing the whales is ships. Dead blue whales are hard to compose of when they are all the way up on the beach, because they can not float away. They have to sit there and make the town stink until they fully decompose. I do not think they should just let the whale explode and get rid of it like garbage. We should treat their bodies with respect and bury them on site.

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  32. I think that they should just push the whale back into the ocean even if it might explode. They could let it sink to the bottom of the ocean and they could feed the organisms at the bottom of the ocean for awhile. If the whale does then it would make that town stink a lot but that doesn't matter because we won't have to deal with it.
    -Justin Krone

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  33. Whales are beautiful creatures that roam the open sea. But beached whales have always been a common thing, whether it be oil spill or washing up on the shores. It is a shame to discover that the towns are not able to dispose of the beached whale easily. I have come to the conclusion that the best way to deal with the whale is to let it blow up and evacuate the area.

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  34. I think that they should definitely try and attempt to move this whale. Letting it just sit there is making the stench much worse and letting the whale get more disgusting. To make the stench of the whale go away they should by some good scented candles and many bottles of fabreeze, or how the article explained, bury the decomposed whale. Ships are the main reasons that whales are getting killed. This is crazy that they didn't move the whale right away, they just kept it there and let it get older and older by the day. I would absolutely hate to live in the town where the whale is, it would be way to stinky for me.

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  35. Gross! they way they described the smell sounded awful! I feel like they should somehow push with back to the ocean whether with a boat or maybe a crane, that way nature can decompose of it in its own way and the creatures of the ocean would have food just like they would if it had died in the ocean where it naturally should have. I think if they burried it that would make the beach and its and smell awful over time aswell. I dont think there really id much more you could do to dispose of a whale that size. If it exploded I'm not sure if it would be fatal to anyone? maybe the bacteria from it could cause a lot of illness if it exploded directally on someone, otherwise i'm sure the smell would also be enough to kill someone!!

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  36. I think they should try to move the whale. Odds are, that the whale won't explode while they're trying to move it. But if they let it sit too long, the whale is most likely going to explode. Also, even if the whale didn't explode, maybe it wouldn't be fatal to anyone. I mean, its worth a shot. Unless the gases inside the whale are toxic, in which case, I would leave the whale alone and evacuate the town depending on the size of the explosion. Maybe call in some professionals.

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  37. Trout River seems to have a bit of a dilemma on their hands. Based upon the description of the stench (which apparently stays in your clothes and doesn’t go away for years), everyone in that town probably wants it gone ASAP. So what should they do? I would say nothing, as far as moving it anyways. As you can quite plainly see in the video of the case of the whale being beached on the Faroe Islands, puncturing the carcass could have catastrophic results, and that could happen a little too easily while trying to move it. There have been multiple cases of whales beaching, largely caused by pollution or collisions with ships, and humans trying to “fix it” by moving or burying or blowing up the whale intentionally. In this case, I think their best bet at this point is allowing it to deflate and decompose naturally. The implementation of a large tarp to cover the body and contain some of the released gases could be helpful for watering down the scent a bit, but that really seems to be the best they can do. After the gasses have been released entirely, it could be a great opportunity for the town to open the site of the beaching to Marine Biologists for study, as they probably don’t get too many chances to see a blue whale in person and examine it’s anatomy and decomposition process.

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  38. How interesting that beached whales explode! It sounds rather funny. Due to prior experiences that were stated, the whale should be jostled as little as possible, and if possible, should be buried on site. I can't even imagine the smell. I'm sure the whale would have been embarrassed. The poor thing might have been killed by a ship which has been known to be the demise of these creatures.

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  39. I never expected that beach whales exploded, so i found this article shocking and funny. It is also kind of sad because more and more whales are getting beached which shouldn't be happening if it wasn't for sonar and other problems caused by humans. In my opinion I think that the whale should be left where it is so it can decompose through a natural process. This way there wouldn't be the problem of it exploding if it were to be moved. As far as the smell of the whale I agree with the couple of people with the Fabreeze ideas. Apparently the air freshener makes garbage smell like flowers so possibly it would make a bloated dead whale smell like flowers if the whale was sprayed by it? Also citizens could receive like a lot of Fabreeze and use it in their houses all the time to mask the smell of bloated whale. This idea would help advertise for Fabreeze,help the citizens, and make the whale possibly smell like flowers so its an all around win-win.

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  40. I never knew that Whales exploded when shored. But based on the fact that they do explode, the town of Trout River should dispose of the whale as fast as possible. The problem with getting rid of it is that it's very heavy. As the article stated, the whale has ceased bloating for a little bit but hopefully it stops so the people of Trout River can figure out how to dispose of this whale.

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  41. I was very surprised when i found out that beached wales exploded, I couldn't imagine the stench after it exploded. It is very sad that more wales are dying due to human activities (Sonar). I wish there was some sonar that didn't interfere with wales. I don't see a way they can get rid of the smell other than just letting it run its course. I wonder if they could somehow tow it out to deep sea, for as I learned in the article a dead whale creates an entire community.

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  42. I think the town should just see if u can speed up the natural decopositon by add the creatures there on poupuse.

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  43. The whale by now is probably too big to move. But just because something like this is bloated doesn't mean you can't depressurize it. Think of it like a tire with too much air in it. All we need to do is make an opening and let the gases naturally flow out by themselves, while yes this will smell bad, it's better than it exploding. I think after it is depressurized and weighs less, we can get tug boats to pull it out to sea. and then we can let nature run its course how it usually does.

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  44. Ok so i looked up a video and nasty. They do not want that whale exploding on their shores. The only option i could think of is to like poke it and let the air slowly drain out. That may not work though so i really wouldn't know. Maybe, they should like build a tent around it and pipe in fabreeze into the tent then when it explodes it smells like pretty flowers.

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  45. Exploding anything isn't fun let alone whales but, I really don't see what they could do the the whale to stop it. Maybe bringing an industrial size can of fabreeze and gassing the whale with fabreeze or they can fill him with streamers and have a happy whale exploding day!

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  46. This article really talked a lot about what happens when a whale washes up shore. First, it will most likely explode if moved too much, because when whales are well and alive, they build up water and pressure and gas in their stomachs. Normally they release it, but when they're dead it all builds up and movement will pretty much guarantee detonation . Secondly, there is almost nothing you can do about the smell it gives off. It settles in very thickly to whatever is nearly impossible to remove. Those interviewed in the article say that something like this happened six years ago and to this day there is still a faint smell in their clothes that they wore. The disposing of the whale is difficult because the whale sinks into the ground and 380,000 lbs of whale fat is hard to move when ready to explode. The people in Newfoundland have nothing to fear, though, because if they wait long enough then the whale will naturally deflate of the natural gases. They will just have to live with the stench for now and when the whale is deflated enough they should move it out to sea and sink it. Its very sad that the whale population is decreasing and we should put forth efforts to preserve them and breed them.

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