The phenomenon of a whale carcass bursting open, often sensationalized as an “exploding whale,” is a rare but real occurrence rooted in natural biological processes of decomposition. Understanding these processes helps clarify why such an event might unfold.
The Science of Decomposition and Gas Buildup
After a whale dies, bacteria naturally present within its body begin to break down tissues and organs. This process, known as decomposition, occurs in an anaerobic environment, meaning it happens without oxygen. As these microorganisms consume organic matter, they produce various gases.
The primary gases include methane, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. These gases accumulate within the whale’s body cavity. The thick blubber and dense skin act like a sealed container, effectively trapping these gases and causing the carcass to bloat considerably, much like a balloon inflating. This continuous gas production leads to a significant buildup of internal pressure.
Why Landed Whales Sometimes Burst
When a whale carcass washes ashore, specific conditions can make a rupture more likely. The whale’s rigid skin and blubber function as a robust pressure vessel, preventing gases from easily escaping. As decomposition continues on land, especially with rising ambient temperatures, bacterial activity accelerates, leading to faster gas production and a rapid increase in internal pressure. If the pressure inside the carcass becomes too great, the body will eventually burst at its weakest point. While often described as an “explosion,” it is more accurately a violent rupture, expelling gases, fluids, and internal organs with force.
A notable instance occurred in Florence, Oregon, in 1970, when authorities used dynamite to dispose of a sperm whale carcass. This deliberate detonation resulted in blubber and flesh being scattered over a wide area. Another spontaneous rupture happened in Taiwan in 2004 when a decomposing sperm whale burst in an urban area during transport.
Managing Beached Whale Carcasses
Managing deceased whales that wash ashore presents logistical and safety challenges for authorities. These remains can pose public health risks due to bacteria and the potential for spontaneous rupture. Officials advise people to maintain a safe distance from stranded carcasses.
Common disposal methods include towing them back to sea, burying them on the beach, or transporting them to a waste management facility. Towing allows for natural decomposition at sea, though carcasses can sometimes drift back to shore. Beach burial is common but can alter groundwater and attract sharks due to leachate. Controlled detonation, as seen in the Oregon case, is rare today due to its unpredictable and messy outcomes, including widespread dispersal of remains.
Natural Decomposition in the Ocean
In the ocean, whale carcasses decompose differently than those on land. When a whale dies at sea, its body sinks to the seafloor, creating a “whale fall.” These whale falls become concentrated food sources, supporting deep-sea ecosystems.
Initially, mobile scavengers like hagfish, sleeper sharks, and various crustaceans consume the soft tissues. Following this, specialized organisms, including bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax, colonize the bones, extracting lipids and supporting a diverse community of bacteria and other invertebrates. At sea, gases produced during decomposition dissipate more gradually, making spontaneous ruptures rare. Cold temperatures and high hydrostatic pressures in the deep sea also slow decomposition rates and increase gas solubility, contributing to a controlled breakdown.