Harvest From the Sea

WHALING was hard, dangerous and bloody business that brought wealth and prosperity to many ports on the North-east Coast of England, particularly Whitby.  It is small wonder that Dracula came ashore at that coastal town.

These intrepid seamen hunted whales for their carcases, which yield meat, fats oils and other chemicals.  Victorian women owned the hour-glass figures to corsets that were stiffened with whalebone.  I often wonder whether they grateful or would they have preferred a more natural outline.

Among the industries that benefited from the hunting of whales were mining, tanning, cloth making, metal working, saddlers, haberdashers, soap-makers and watch-makers.

Early whalers braved the hazards of the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans in small wooden sailing vessels. One Whitby captain fastened a barrel to the head of the mast to create the first crow’s nest and increase the range of vision.

Once a whale had ben sighted, the ship’s boats would be lowered.  The men would board and row closer to the mammal.  The harpooner flung his weapon.  Once it was fixed in the whale, the animal would really take off, dragging the boats behind it, This was known as the Nantucket Sleigh Ride.

Eventually the whale would succumb to exhaustion, shock and blood loss.  It was towed back, sometimes miles, to the ship, where the work of fleshing the mammal took place, The fat, blubber and oils were rendered into barrels with the meat and bones being stowed in the holds.  Another magnificent animal had disappeared.

Later, as in all other industries, more efficient methods came into practice. Vessels were larger, built of steel and steam-powered.  They were divided into catchers and factory ships.

Harpoons were fired from a gun, instead of depending on the strength of a man’s arm and the sureness of his eye.  Often the harpoon had an explosive head, which detonated deep inside the body of the whale.  They were connected to the ship by nylon ropes or wire cables instead of hemp lines.

The whales were hunted to almost extinction.  An international agreement was signed by all the countries of the world, with the exceptions of Japan and Norway to ban the hunting of whales.

Slowly the world’s population of whales grew as the mammals drew back from the edge of extinction. However the magnificent animals, the largest in the world, still need and deserve our protection.