How did steamships and exploding harpoons make blue and fin whales easier to hunt?

Before the late 19th century, fast-swimming rorquals like blue whales and fin whales were largely safe from human predation because they were too fast to catch with sailing ships and tended to sink after death. The introduction of steam-powered whale catchers and specialized harpoon cannons fundamentally changed this dynamic.12

Steamships provided the speed and maneuverability necessary to overtake these swift cetaceans, while the forward-mounted harpoon cannon allowed whalers to fire heavy projectiles from a distance. These harpoons were equipped with a time-delay grenade that exploded upon impact, damaging vital organs and causing massive bleeding to kill the animal. Furthermore, to prevent the carcasses from sinking, whalers utilized compressed air to inflate the whales, allowing them to float while awaiting collection. These technological advancements enabled the systematic exploitation of previously unreachable species, leading to the rapid depletion of whale populations throughout the 20th century.132