The Real Moby Dick Was So Much Worse

Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here?

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Center for Whale Research

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***SOCIALS***

***CREDITS***

Mortician: Caitlin Doughty

This video was significantly informed by the excellent research done by Nathaniel Philbrick in his book, "In the Heart of the Sea". Thank you Mr. Philbrick for your insight, scholarship, and for telling this whale of a tale!

***MUSIC***

***SELECTED SOURCES***

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Philbrick, Nathaniel. Viking Penguin. New York, 2000.

"The True-Life Horror That Inspired Moby Dick"

New Bedford Whaling Museum

Nantucket's First Peoples of Color

"Whaling the Old Way"

"Protecting whales to protect the planet"

"This is what happens to your body as you die of dehydration"

[nopenope]

“Tortoises are flying everywhere.” Aw man, I hate when that happens.

[SadisticSenpai]

One of the first rules for survival if you find yourself stranded at sea: If you find land where there's food and water? Stay put! Just staying there increases your survival chances significantly.

[pettingbears]

George Pollard Jr. was said to lock himself in his house and fast every year on the anniversary of the tragedy in honor of his crew mates. He did this until he died.

[nomorepikachu]

I come back to these videos often. Because even though the stories are morbid and terrifying, Caitlin tells them so well with great humour that I could listen to them dozens of times.

[evanatchison]

I wasn't even that entirely grossed out by the cannibalism thing until I realized they didn't have fires and had to eat them raw.

[UlfhedinnNorsk]

The three guys who stayed on the island were smart no matter how you look at it. An island with fresh water, possible fish and other sea creatures and I am sure they were starting to realize what would happen if they didn’t stay.

[midgey]

I want “and we haven’t even gotten to the cannibalism yet!” on a t-shirt.

[devindavidson]

To my recollection, the ship was covered in excess of the whale oil they were collecting and it is theorized the whale that attacked they most likely thought it was another whale plus it was mating season.

[BirdieBirdieBirdie]

I like the pictorials used to keep the people straight. There were a lot and I would’ve been confused. They were also cute in a story filled with horror.

[unethicaldrinkingwater]

16:31 Why do I feel like the whale was thinking “ my name is indigo Montoya, you killed my family. Prepare to die”

[Agaettis]

"You can't even get your own childhood trauma right"
"It's a beautiful day to enter the bowels of hell and face your fears"

If it makes you feel better I was terrified of a statue of a bee at my local museum, it was about 2 feet long, and scared the ever living crap out of me.
Seeing it as an adult is still terrifying... I have no clue why because I'm not scared of bees

[EdwardTHead]

"it wasnt whale revenge, it was a whale that was pissed at all the random slaughter of its family"

Sounds like whale revenge to me bud.

[TheDiplomancer]

Things Caitlin is afraid of:
- Underwater Caves
- Whales

I'm sensing a pattern

[kirstenbassett]

I’m studying marine biology and I am so appreciative that you put an emphasis on how important whales are! Most people don’t realise how important they are for our survival! Also they are just so beautiful 🥰🐋

[NG-gyiv]

your honor, the whale would like to plead self defense

[hhgff]

I don't exactly consider myself superstitious or anything, but it's such a strange coincidence that the whale attacked them after they set that island ablaze.

[frankmoyer]

So, I was on a plane once, sitting next to a woman who was reading "In the heart of the sea" and I said, "Pretty weird huh, how they all become cannibals in the end."
She gave me a weird look.
She was reading a romance novel.

[SovereignStatesman]

The irony is they avoided safe havens because they FEARED cannibalism.

[charliekill]

My great great great grandfather was on the Essex. He was Owen Chase, the first mate on the ship. We still have family on Nantucket and Tuckernuck. We’re also related to the Coffins. Man were my ancestors fucked up.

[maggiezhou]

love that she's afraid of whales but casually drive a body across the country by herself 😂