Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
South Sea Whalers Boiling Blubber, by Sir Oswald Brierly, circa 1876. State Library of New South Wales.. Sperm whaling is the human practice of hunting sperm whales, the largest toothed whale and the deepest-diving marine mammal species, for the oil, meat and bone that can be extracted from the cetaceans' bodies.
The hunting led to the near-extinction of large whales, including sperm whales, until bans on whale oil use were instituted in 1972. The International Whaling Commission gave the species full protection in 1985, but hunting by Japan in the northern Pacific Ocean continued until 1988.
The sperm whale was particularly prized for spermaceti, a dense waxy substance that burns with an exceedingly bright flame that is found in the spermaceti organ, located forward and above the skull. Hunting sperm required longer whaling voyages. Whale oil was essential for illuminating homes and businesses in the 19th century, and lubricated ...
(The last time a sperm whale stranded along the gulf coast was in 2008, NOAA reports.) ... “Sperm whales hunt for food during deep dives that routinely reach depths of 2,000 feet and can last ...
The Lamalerans hunt for several species of whales but catching sperm whales are preferable, while other whales, such as baleen whales, are considered taboo to hunt. [71] They caught five sperm whales in 1973; they averaged about 40 per year from the 1960s through the mid 1990s, 13 total from 2002 to 2006, 39 in 2007, [72] an average of 20 per ...
The transition away from whaling gave birth to new industries and practices – with the impetus coming from outside. In 1990, French national Serge Viallele set up the first whale watching ...
A dead whale on the beach at Lamakera, surrounded by villagers. 1900. The people of Lamalera hunt several species of whales, primarily sperm whales (the baleen whale is taboo), and in the peak year of 1969 caught 56 sperm whales. In addition to whales, dolphins, manta rays, turtles and several species of sharks are also hunted.
“Sperm whales hunt for food during deep dives that routinely reach depths of 2,000 feet and can last for 45 minutes,” NOAA reports. “They are capable of diving to depths of over 10,000 feet ...