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Oddly enough, sperm whaling peaked in the 1960s, following increased demand for heat-stable oils for automatic transmissions. It only stopped when the Internati
by Scaevolus 8y ago
Oddly enough, sperm whaling peaked in the 1960s, following increased demand for heat-stable oils for automatic transmissions. It only stopped when the International Whaling Commission voluntarily enacted a moratorium in 1985.
- jrumbut 8y agoThe later whaling industry is depressing to read about. It was more grizzly than the Moby Dick era, with explosive tipped harpoons and faster boats capable of corralling whales into bays where they could be killed en masse. By the way, as a New Bedford resident, my favorite travel writing about NB came from the New York Times' "36 hours in..." series. The biggest challenge was what to do with the other 24 hours. It's all a little dismal.