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American History
Related: About this forumOn this day, November 20, 1820, an 80-ton sperm whale attacked and sank the Essex, a whaling ship from Nantucket.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_20 1820 An 80-ton sperm whale attacks and sinks the Essex (a whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts) 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) from the western coast of South America. (Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick was in part inspired by this incident.)
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On this day, November 20, 1820, an 80-ton sperm whale attacked and sank the Essex, a whaling ship from Nantucket. (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Nov 20
OP
LT Barclay
(2,791 posts)1. And the ship deserved it
If I remember correctly they were following the common practice of the time and harpooning calves to be able to get the mother and other adults who came to help.
A huge male got angry and sank the ship. The description in the book The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is awe inspiring.
LT Barclay
(2,791 posts)2. And the ship deserved it
If I remember correctly they were following the common practice of the time and harpooning calves to be able to get the mother and other adults who came to help.
A huge male got angry and sank the ship. The description in the book The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is awe inspiring.
keithbvadu2
(40,830 posts)3. Love it!