A whale of an attraction? Trout River, NL locals don't want their dead blue whale moved to Toronto

There continues to be a big, dead, blue whale problem on the beach at Trout River, Newfoundland and Labrador. But some residents have become attached to their new tourist attraction, even though the rotting, 25-metre-long carcass is already gas-bloated to twice its normal size -- and may explode any minute. And now that the whale remains are going to be moved to the Royal Ontario Museum, they're not happy.

Jenny Parsons, who runs the Sea Side Restaurant near the carcass, opposes the plan to move the whale to Toronto.

Click the "Listen" link above to hear her conversation with Carol.

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Newfoundland town fears dead blue whale is a rotting time bomb (April 30, 2014)

A Brief Timeline of Exploding Whales

(Photo: Wikipedia)

November 12, 1970

Florence, Oregon, U.S. -- A sperm whale beaches itself and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, under consultation with the U.S. Navy, decides to treat the whale as they would a boulder. Half a ton of dynamite was used to blow up the whale, which resulted in pieces of the whale flying onto nearby buildings, with most of the carcass remaining.

January 26, 2004

Tainan City, Taiwan -- A decomposing sperm whale is trucked to a university but explodes along the way near the city centre, splattered whale parts and blood around surrounding bystanders and businesses. No one is injured.

September 2, 2010

Albany, Australia -- A humpback whale is stranded and killed by the Department of Environment and Conservation using explosives.

November 26, 2013

Faroe Islands, Denmark - In order to prevent a larger explosion, a dead sperm whale's skin was perforated, but exploded during the procedure.

January 2014

Montevideo, Uruguay - A dead sperm whale that washed up on Carrasco beach is hoisted away onto a truck, but proved to be too heavy for the hoist and falls, exploding on impact.