Suspected Explosion from 'Methane Gas' Accumulated Inside Whale
"Must Puncture Skin to Prevent Explosion"
A whale carcass floating off the coast of the United States suddenly exploded, turning the sea blood red. Since it is known that a large amount of methane gas accumulates inside the whale's body during decomposition, approaching it recklessly is dangerous.
According to the British media outlet 'Daily Mail' on the 20th (local time), a humpback whale carcass was found off the coast of California, USA. As the boat that discovered the carcass approached it, the whale suddenly exploded, scattering debris. The exploded whale carcass slowly sank to the bottom of the sea.
This video was posted on social media and attracted the attention of netizens. The user who first uploaded the video on Instagram explained, "In most other animal carcasses, the accumulated gas is released during decomposition. Such explosions only occur in whale carcasses."
Generally, when an animal dies, methane is produced during the decomposition process. If the methane gas is not released outside the body and accumulates, the carcass can explode. In the case of whale carcasses, it is reported that the body continues to swell until just before the explosion.
To prevent the explosion and safely release the methane, a small hole must be made in the whale's skin.
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