Which real whaling disaster helped inspire Moby-Dick?

The real whaling disaster that helped inspire the climactic scene in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was the sinking of the Essex.

In November 1820, the Essex, a Nantucket-based whaling ship, was rammed twice by a large male sperm whale in the South Pacific Ocean. The attack caused catastrophic damage, leading the ship to capsize and sink. The crew’s subsequent struggle for survival—which involved an arduous journey in small whaleboats and instances of cannibalism—fascinated Melville and served as a primary inspiration for his 1851 novel.12

Additionally, Melville drew inspiration from the legend of "Mocha Dick," a famous, aggressive white whale often sighted near Mocha Island off the coast of Chile, whose name and reputation likely influenced the character of Moby Dick.2