A dead whale that washed up on a New Hampshire beach spent a night in a parking lot after authorities tried and failed to stuff the corpse into a dumpster bin on Monday.
Authorities in Rye were attempting to transport the 16-foot juvenile minke whale from a beach to a downtown facility so marine biologists could examine the carcass with the hope of determining the whale’s cause of death, according to a New Hampshire Union Leader.
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Video shows workers using a front-end loader to move the two-ton dead whale from the beach and into a parking lot. While in the parking lot, the loader operator slowly lowered the front end over a red garbage dumpster, where the whale slipped off the construction vehicle and bounced off the garbage bin before flopping onto the pavement.
According to the newspaper, the state officials provided the small dumpster while the town of Rye supplied the equipment to remove the whale from the beach. However, no measurements were provided, so a small dumpster was sent for the first attempt.
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The dead whale spent Monday night in a parking lot while authorities waited for a larger bin to arrive on Tuesday.
Stokes told the newspaper using a dumpster bin to transport the dead whale helps keeps it contained and prevents bodily fluids from leaking during its transport.
The failed attempt at removing the whale went viral, with social media users dubbing it “Dumpster Whale.” Here’s a look at some of the reaction.