November 12, 1970, was a whale of a day at Florence, Oregon. The sun was bright, and the skies were clear. Only the presence of a decomposing whale carcass marred the beautiful […]
What Could Go Wrong When Using Dynamite to Move a Whale?
Should Moby-Dick Have a Hyphen?
Herman Melville’s novel about an obsessive hunt for an elusive whale is Moby Dick. Or is it Moby-Dick? The answer to that question drives obsessive scholars of literature and seems to be […]
Why is Whale Poop So Stinking Valuable?
What is yellowish-gray, comes after a whale, and is worth more than $1,000 per ounce? No, this isn’t the start of a corny joke; it is a legitimate question. The answer is […]
Wearing the Crown Brings Some Unusual Rights
Historically, royalty carries with it inherent aspects of sovereignty, power, and might. To wear the crown is to have the ability to yell, “Off with their heads!” and have the command carried […]
A Biological Reason for a Dog’s Love
Although the blue whale holds the record for the largest heart of any creature on the planet, its heart consists of a mere 0.12 percent of its entire body mass. Most animals […]
A Whale of a Lot of Fun Facts about Whales
Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick was published in 1851. The notorious white whale that compelled Captain Ahab to dedicate his life to finding it was famously described by Melville as being the […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 