Death of a Whale

Last month, the killer whale Keiko, star of the "Free Willy" movies, died from pneumonia. He was then buried "in a snow-bound pasture during the deep darkness of Nordic winter in a ceremony kept secret from the public." Some have wondered why only seven people were present for Keiko's quick and peaceful burial. The following story may help explain why Keiko quickly disappeared.

Fishermen found a 50-foot, 50-ton sperm whale beached on the coast of Taiwan last Saturday. Still alive, emergency help was summoned. Sadly, the whale died before help arrived. While being transported through Tainan City on its way to a research station, it suddenly exploded, splattering cars and shops with blood and guts.

"What a stinking mess! This blood and other stuff that blew out on the road is disgusting, and the smell is really awful," said one resident.

The news also showed one section of the street along with several parked automobiles and pedestrian walkways covered in red with copious amounts of splattered whale blood.

Lying on the trailer-truck was the dead whale - underbelly exposed with a large elongated tear where the biological gaseous blowout took place. Besides the shocking red bloody mess, large piles of whale intestines and guts were strewn along the road, leaving an unpleasant and ghastly scene for startled residents.

Based upon this occurrence, the quiet burial of Keiko is understandable.

[Update] Robert Sama has a picture of the exploded whale at SamaBlog.