Ask Our Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
whaling
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
whaling whaling history After being killed by whaleboat crews, the whale was secured alongside the ship and cut into pieces, which were cooked in the try-pots. The resulting oil was casked and stored below the decks. The whaleboat was towed by a harpooned whale until the animal tired. Lances were then used for the kill. The powerful engines of mid-20th-century catcher boats allowed these vessels to overtake even the fastest whales. A moratorium on commercial whaling was finally imposed in 1986 after decades of overhunting had already depleted the populations of many whale species. whaling harpoon
For Students
whaling summary
Read Next
A brief history of whaling. infographic, whales
Japan Maneuvers to Skirt Whaling Restrictions
Discover
Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
Amendments 1-10 to the Constitution of the United States constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights on an American flag.
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
Cathedrale St.Jean in Lyon, France has a 14th-century astronomical clock that shows religious feast days till the year 2019; Perpetual Calendar
Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch to the Gregorian Calendar
Flags of the United Kingdom of Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Union Flag.
Acts of Union: Uniting the United Kingdom
Close up of praying mantis walking on stone ground against a blurred background in Japan
6 Animals That Eat Their Mates
Aurochs. Bos primigenius. Skeleton. Extinct animal. Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox.
6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction

whaling: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/whaling
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

whaling
whaling history
After being killed by whaleboat crews, the whale was secured alongside the ship and cut into pieces, which were cooked in the try-pots. The resulting oil was casked and stored below the decks.
The whaleboat was towed by a harpooned whale until the animal tired. Lances were then used for the kill.
The powerful engines of mid-20th-century catcher boats allowed these vessels to overtake even the fastest whales.
A moratorium on commercial whaling was finally imposed in 1986 after decades of overhunting had already depleted the populations of many whale species.
whaling harpoon
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic