whaling: Quick Facts

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Infographic titled A Brief History of Whaling, showing illustrated ships and whales to depict key periods in whaling history from early Inuit and Basque hunting, through the 17th century, the 1850s sailing era, the industrial modern era with factory ships, and present-day practices. Text and images highlight technological advances, whale species targeted, and the shift to limited whaling by a few countries and aboriginal groups.

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

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