A Whale of a Time
21 Jul
It’s whale season. You can see humpbacks and blues along the Southern Californian coast, jumping rights on the coast of South Africa, and belugas in Vancouver (even though the baby beluga that died was found with a penny and two rocks in its blowhole). Whales are in the news, and for good reason – these are the largest mammals on earth, and it’s about time we remembered that they’re in charge.Don’t ask me, just take a look at the sperm whale. During the 19th century, these whales’ oil was used to light street gaslamps and lubricate the machines that powered the industrial revolution. They are the largest toothed animal in the world.
Moby Dick was based on a real story, one that included cannibalism and an albino named Mocha Dick, after the Mocha island off the coast of Chile, which was prime whale hunting grounds. He was a 70 foot maneater and reportedly yielded 100 barrels of clear oil after his capture in the 1850′s. Sperm whale oil was the most highly prized of all whale oil for its purity.
The other day, when I was on the water, I thought about whales, and being on the sea. This video should give you a better idea of how wild it would be to see one of these babies in real life (fast forward when needed, and deal with his patronizing tone).
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