According to Oregon state officials, dynamite is not an option being considered for how to dispose of a   40-foot fin whale carcass   that washed up on an Oregon beach over the weekend.   The carcass came to rest on an easily-accessible beach just a few miles north of where a giant sperm whale corpse washed up in November, 1970. The Oregon Highway Division had responsibility for disposing of the whale at that time, and their thinking was evidently along the lines that a dead whale was probably a lot like a huge boulder blocking a road construction project. The decision to use dynamite to obliterate the rotting, stinking whale carcass is now stuff of legend. Regrettably, cooler heads prevail at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, upon which the responsibility for disposing of the rare 40-foot fin whale falls today: “We normally bury animals like this on the coast,” said Chris Havel, a state parks spokesman. “But the sand there is so shallow that burying just isn’t an option. The

The  Sei  fin whale observed struggling in the surf along the Oregon Coast  on Friday, March 6, 2009, is believed to have died and washed up close to where officials lost sight of it late Friday afternoon. Update:  Biologists now believe that the  50 40-foot whale that died along the Oregon Coast was, in fact, an endangered  fin whale , not a Sei whale as originally reported. They also predict that the whale appeared undernourished and was probably chronically ill. A  video report  (in which it is still described as a Sei whale) is available. A  more recent video  is also available. Parallels to  Oregon’s infamous exploding whale  are  already being made , of course. However, state officials have indicated they have no intention of blowing up the carcass. External links: Struggling whale likely same one found dead   – KVAL Struggling whale washed up dead near Florence   – The Oregonian Marine biologists search for clues in beached whale’s death ( video #1 ,  video #2 )  – KATU Beach cl

A whale, possibly entangled in the line from a crab pot, is struggling in the surf near Florence, OR. Officials believe it is a  Sei whale  measuring between 40-50 feet.  Stay tuned for updates on this developing story…. Update:  Watch  video from KVAL  in Eugene, OR. Updates: As of Saturday morning, the whale’s whereabouts are unknown. Read the  Coast Guard news release  regarding the whale. Watch  Coast Guard video  of the whale taken Friday, 6-March-2009. See  “Fin whale perishes on Oregon Coast”  for additional updates on this story. External links: Officials Fear Whale Near Florence Tried to Reach the Beach  – Salem-News.com Would-Be Beached Whale Appears to Be OK   – KTVL Coast Guard whale watching   – Register-Guard Whale appears to be in a life or death struggle, it’ll be touch and go   – KVAL Whale update : “Blood was coming up with the animal’s body”   – KVAL Coast Guard keeping tabs on injured whale   – Register-Guard Coast Guard News Release (includes link to video)   – U.S