bio. 109r- intro. to marine mammals john f. corbett, iii keystone college 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Bio. 109R- Intro. to Marine MammalsJohn F. Corbett, III
Keystone College 2011
IntroductionWhaling has been practiced since prehistoric
timesOldest known method; place many small boats
off shore and herd whales towards shore in attempt to beach them
Additionally, Drogue- floatable device made of wooden drum or inflated sealskin, secured to arrow or harpoon, would tire the whale enough to approach and kill
Earliest accounts- 6000 B.C.- South Korean hunters used harpoons and drogues
Drogue
Tools for HarvestHarpoon- hand held or fired
from gun, long spear-like instrument, impales target animal
Two-flue harpoon- used for over 8,000 yrs.
Explosive Harpoon- 1870’s, had a single barb that pivoted on an iron pin, cavity in the single barb opened to the rear, and accepted a small glass vial of explosive
Explosive tip
Products HarvestedSperm oil- blubber cooked and reduced; oil used for
lamps and lubricantSpermaceti- found in head of sperm whale; used to
make candles that burned brighter than oil lampsAmbergris- found in intestines of few whales, used
in manufacturing of perfumesBaleen- a filtering structure in the mouths of baleen
whales; not composed of bone, but of the protein keratin. Products manufactured; collar stiffeners, buggy whips, parasol ribs, and corset stays
Scrimshaw- carvings on baleen and sperm whale teeth
Manufactured Products
Corset stays
Baleen basket
Scrimshaw
Baleen, candle and perfume
Harvesting Baleen
Early Whaling CulturesPetroglyphs suggest whaling began approx. 6000
B.C. in South KoreaInuits (Eskimos) whaling for past 2,500 yrs.;
relied on harvest for food, heat, light, clothing tools and shelter
Japanese- earliest documented from 7th century, Emperor Jimmu ate whale meat
Kakuemon Taiji invented net whaling, approx. 1675 A.D.; hunted right, humpback, fin and gray whale
Basque- people of Spain and France border; 1st hunted N. Atlantic right whale in 1059 A.D., using watch towers to locate whales from shore
Early Whaling Cultures-Inuit
Inuit with kayak
Inuit harvesting bowhead whale
Early Whaling Cultures-BasqueSuccessful hunting in Red Bay, Canada; 1530-
1600 A.D.Followed migration of whales; right whales migrate
in June and bowhead whales migrate in October50 years of hunting, 20,000 whales harvested14th century; seasonal trips to English Channel, fishery declined because of conflicts with European powers and declining whale populations English, Dutch and Danish relied on Basque whalers expertise, 1612 A.D.
Early Whaling CulturesColonial America- New England, 1770;
hunted off shore from six-man boats, (shallops) for right and humpback whales
Shallop
Colonial America
Early Whaling Cultures- Colonial America1830’s- competitive whaling nation; hunted
sperm whales in South Pacific, voyages lasted 1 year
1870’s- schooner ships hunt humpbacks off Gulf of Maine
Used bomb lances, 100 whales harvested in most yrs., fishery ended in 1890’s
Whaling Cultures- Colonial America19th century- Hunting sperm whales across the globe
because of competition and declining populationsSeveral whaling expeditions in the Arctic abandoned
because ships trapped in ice, millions of dollars in product lost
Civil War- Confederate raiders targeted American whalers
Industry pressures from loses, crippling economy and competition of kerosene; far more superior fuel for lighting
Port of New Bedford, Mass. gave up whaling in 1925
Referenceswww.crystallinks.com/inuitswww.smithtrail.net/captain-john
smith/shallop.aspxwww.marinebio.net/marinesceince/spermacetiwww.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/basquehttp://wikipedia.org/harpoonhttp://wikipedia.org/History_of_whaling