Moby Dick, written by American author Herman Melville and published in 1851, is perhaps one of the most famous novels of all time. Studied in American schools to this day even non-readers are likely to know of Ahab’s obsession with the White Whale and the madness that eventually consumes him. Yet, for as much of the story is Ahab, a similar amount is devoted entirely to whaling. Chapters upon chapters on cetology – that being the study of whales, among other things – and the ins and outs of hunting a whale make up much of the book and mirrors Melville’s own experiences as a whaler. As such, it is only natural that much of the book is focused on the more mundane side of things.
Yet, nowadays whaling is anything but mundane. To begin with, there lies the fact that outside of Iceland, Norway and Japan, whaling is an illegal business and is no longer practised. Indeed, even in said countries, there are limitations to it all, such as Iceland only hunting certain types of whale. Turning your eyes to America, were you to visit Nantucket now, it would serve as a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of whalers as described by narrator Ishmael early on in the book. There is still hustle and bustle of course, yet it has morphed into that of any seafaring port – a far cry from it being the capital of whaling! So therein lies the most obvious change, the death of whaling and the lessened death of whales.
Presently, if you were to come across any form of whaling, you’d likely have found it through some manner of media. From representation in films such as ‘In the Heart of the Sea’ to video games such as ‘The Evil Defining’ chapter of Limbus Company, whaling has shoehorned its way into popular media. It’s certainly not that whaling is an extraordinarily popular setting for fiction, but more so that nowadays fiction is its only true home – besides retellings of historical events. Even Moby Dick has a musical rendition now!
So then, there’s the death of whaling and it’s movement from a common enough activity to one relegated to fiction. But I did make mention of three countries wherein the practice is still practised. Traditionally, whales were hunted for their oil that could be extracted, alongside just about everything else that could be sold. Their meat might be eaten, but ships were often on the seas for years at a time and there was no way of freezing the said meat. Even if they wished to sell the meat, it’d have rotted by the time they returned to port. But with the advent of modern technology, such a possibility of freezing became a reality. Although you might find ships hunting whales for things besides their meat, nowadays it’s generally the case that whale meat is what ships are out there hoping to get.
So how do people hunt and kill a whale? Back in Melville’s day, the process was long and complex. To begin with, you’d need someone up on the highest point of the ship to keep an eye out for whales coming up for air; their location could be discerned through their spout. If a whale were sighted (something which might not happen for days or even weeks – it being all down to chance) then the ship would start heading in the direction of the whale. If the whale was still visible, then an order would be given to lower the ship’s boats and give chase. If the boats managed to catch up with the whale, then the harpooners on said boats would have to try and wrangle a line and throw a harpoon into the whale. If they didn’t get thrown overboard and/or die in the process due to being tangled in the line or hit by the whale and if they managed to kill the whale rather than just injure it, they could attach the whale to their ship and begin to extract oil from it (another lengthy process that could also be dangerous at times). In the novel, narrator Ishmael himself states: ‘Forty men in one ship hunting the Sperm Whales for forty-eight months think they have done extremely well, and thank God, if at last they carry home the oil of forty fish.’ For as much of it is hard labour, it’s equally as much a matter of luck.
So what about now? Ships mount harpoon cannons onto their sides and shoot them at whales when they see them. The harpoons are fitted with an explosive charge that detonates upon impact, almost always killing the whale. Gone is the rowing and the wrangling and the desperate struggle to not get thrown overboard, modern ships don’t even need a lookout due to using sonar instead to find whales! It’s far, far simpler than traditional whaling. Of course, it’s also far less practised. But why is that the case?
The main reason as to why whaling is outlawed in so many countries comes down to the fact that the population just couldn’t keep up with how many were being killed. Whales have a long gestation period that can last between 9-16 months on average depending upon the species of whale. There just simply aren’t enough giving birth. Even without the aid of modern technology which makes the killing of whales a far more efficient business, the population had been in steady decline. Were it not for the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (IRCW), it’s highly likely that whales would have been driven to extinction – at least those that are hunted the most.
Whaling has come a long way since Melville’s time, but what lies in store for its future? Its practice is fairly limited nowadays and those that continue to hunt whales face increasing international criticism. Mayhaps one day whaling will be a thing solely contained to books such as Moby Dick? Or mayhaps not – only time will tell.
Kommentarer