I wonder if whalers ever killed a whale, got it on deck, and then the whale just let loose. Another ship would find a drifting whaling ship with all aboard dead from some mysterious illness, and a strange foul clam smell lingering.

Maybe that's why they never found out about it before, notice how the pictures are from a helicopter?

Here's a strange thought: I'm wondering how the scientists just happened to be in the same area as a surfaced whale and just happened to catch a picture of it farting. I bet some mad scientist with hopes of world domination fed it like 30 tons of cheese dogs with onions to see the results. Sick bastard.