A dead blue whale that is slowly rotting on the beach of the western Newfoundland community of Trout River has the community scrambling to find a way to get rid of it before it explodes.

The whale's 25-meter (82 feet) carcass washed into Trout River just over a week ago, and has since been pushed up against the beach.

Tucked inside a corner of Gros Morne National Park, Trout River depends in large part during the summer on tourism.

The whale is likely one of a group of blue whales that died several weeks ago in heavy ice off Newfoundland's Western coast and is now emitting an odor that's hard to ignore.

The carcasses of as many as nine blue whales were found trapped in ice off Newfoundland's southwest coast on April 9. The Canadian Department if Fisheries and Oceans said the event is a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Residents are worried about what could happen if the carcass remains grounded near the town's historic wooden boardwalk. "Bite

The whale is attracting a different kind of visitor: People from the region who drive to take in the unusual sight of a blue whale right on the shoreline.

Jenny Parker, owner of a local restaurant said the whale puts the community at risk.

"The smell of it right now, and the gradual rotting of the whale, is going to cause havoc on the community." she told a reporter.

Meanwhile, another whale carcass has washed ashore in Rocky Harbour, the largest town in Gros Morne National Park.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.