Arctic Whaling

Going north for whales: Since the 1790s, American whaleships had "rounded the Horn" (the southernmost tip of South America) and pursued whales in the Pacific Ocean. As sperm whales became scarcer, whaleships sailed further north in the Pacific. When Thomas Welcome Roys, master of the Sag Harbor, New York, ship Superior sailed into the Bering Sea in 1848, he discovered a large population of bowhead whales and launched the era of Arctic whaling.

Hungry for baleen: Baleen (strips made of keratin that are found in the mouths of baleen whales instead of teeth) was used for: * Carriage springs; * Corset stays; * Fishing rods; * Frames for traveling bags, trunks, and women's hats; * Hoops for women's dresses; * Buggy whips; and * Umbrella and parasol ribs. After the Civil War (1861-1865), demand for baleen increased and kept the whaling industry alive. An increasing number of Yankee whalers made San Francisco their home base for journeys to the Arctic.

A new enemy: Although the Arctic bowhead did not fight as fiercely as the sperm whale, whalemen had to cope with a savage environment. Good timing was critical. Whaleships reached the Arctic in mid-summer when the ice had melted enough to permit passage and had to sail out in late summer to avoid getting trapped in the ice.

Ice disasters: In 1871, thirty-three whaleships were lost as ice closed in around them before they could sail south at summer's end. They were valued at more than $1,600,000 (approximately $13,000, 000 in 1982 dollars). Twenty-two of the ships were from New Bedford and represented a loss of $1,000,000. By 1876, as whales were becoming harder to find, the Arctic fleet, had only twenty vessels. Twelve ships were lost that year, and there were other, smaller losses to ice in later years. The names of the vessels lost in 1871 were:

Bark Roman of New Bedford
Bark Concordia of New Bedford
Ship Gay Head of New Bedford
Bark George of New Bedford
Ship John Wells of New Bedford
Bark Massachusetts of New Bedford
Bark J.D. Thompson of New London, CT
Ship Contest of New Bedford
Bark Emily Morgan of New Bedford
Ship Champion of Edgartown, MA
Bark Henry Taber of New Bedford
Bark Elizabeth Swift of New Bedford
Ship Florida of New Bedford
Bark Oliver Crocker of New Bedford
Bark Navy of New Bedford
Ship Reindeer of New Bedford
Bark Seneca of New Bedford
Bark George Howland of New Bedford
Bark Fanny of New Bedford
Bark Carlotta of San Francisco, CA
Bark Paiea of Honolulu
Bark Monticello of New London, CT
Brig Kohola of Honolulu
Bark Eugenia of New Bedford
Ship Julian of Honolulu
Bark Awashonks of New Bedford
Bark Thomas Dickason of New Bedford
Bark Minerva of New Bedford
Ship William Rotch of New Bedford
Brig Victoria of San Francisco, CA
Ship Mary of Edgartown
Brig Comet of Honolulu

Steaming to the Arctic: The first American steam whaler, the Mary and Helen, sailed from New Bedford in 1879. As the price of baleen rose during the 1880s, an increasing number of auxiliary steam-powered whaleships joined the traditional fleet in hunting for bowheads. These new whalers could enter dangerous waters and get out again, unlike their sail-powered cousins. They were not invulnerable, however, and the North Star was crushed in ice on its maiden voyage.

Wintering in the Arctic: The usual pattern was to "lay up" Arctic whaleships in San Francisco after they returned from the north in the autumn. Often, a ship was left with only a shipkeeper aboard until it was overhauled in spring for departure directly to the Arctic. However, by 1890 a number of whaleships were wintering in the Arctic.

Preparing for a rigorous journey: A ship had to be in top-notch condition for a winter in the Arctic. The entire journey would take two and a half years, so the ship was loaded with tons of supplies, food, and equipment. After sailing from San Francisco in March, the first stop was usually in the Aleutian Islands (an archipelago extending southwest from the Alaska Peninsula), where the ship took on coal and water, then set off on a spring cruise along the Siberian shore, trading for reindeer parkas and sealskin coats, and signing on Eskimos as "ship's natives."

Herschel Island: Around 1888, whalemen had discovered that Herschel Island in the Arctic had a good harbor and that whales were plentiful in the area. The island was a hub of whaling activity from 1890 to 1908.

Men, women, children, dogs: A whaleship that planned to spend the winter at Herschel Island in the Arctic might carry an unusual crew: * More than 40 whalemen; * At least fifteen natives to serve as hunters and seamstresses; * As many as 50 huskies to pull dog sleds; * The wife and children of the captain. The winter of 1894-95 was the first season when families were in the fleet. A captain had to pay the shipowners $1,000 for the privilege.

Settling down for winter: After leaving supplies at Herschel around mid- August, ships sailed west for a few weeks of hunting whales. As whaling tapered off, the ships headed for Pauline Cove by the beginning of October to prepare for the freeze. The crew covered the ship's decks with sod blocks and built sod houses for the ship's natives.

Social life in an isolated place: As the ice closed in, everyone on the ships faced boredom and loneliness from October until the following May - eight long months. With five hundred men housed in close quarters, problems were inevitable. There were reports of drinking, desertion, and fighting, although the men also played baseball and soccer, skied on the ice, and put on plays and minstrel shows.

A soothing presence: The presence of women and children seemed to reduce tensions. The wives organized card parties, dances, birthday and holiday celebrations. The cabins were often decorated with lanterns and colored lights. At one gathering, a three-piece band played and ice cream, cake, beer, and cigars were served.

Preparing to sail again: During the spring, crews prepared their ships for whaling. The ice began to break up in Pauline Cove in the middle of June and by early July, the ships could begin another voyage.

A holiday interlude: The celebration of the Fourth of July on Herschel Island began with dressing the ships in all their flags and firing salutes to begin a day of tug-of- war, races, baseball, and shooting contests for whalemen and native people. After months in the ice, ships usually began their hunt for whales around July 10th.

The end of an era: Arctic whaling represented the last hurrah of the American industry. As the demand for baleen diminished, the industry was doomed. The last American vessel to use whaleboats, the Motor Ship Patterson, made final port in San Francisco in 1928.

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