Whaling

Some countries have stopped whaling in the face of international criticism.

They worked at a whaling station.

Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th-century whaling station.

Today was also the first day the scientists were able to get in the water. This is my first cruise to the monument and I was beyond excited to hear I would get a few hours to snorkel the maritime archeologist’s field sites. The archeology team and I were launched from one of the Hi’ialakai’s small boats and were soon hovering over a wreck that is thought to be an American whaling ship. It was particularly intriguing as a marine mammal scientist to be able to see large pots used to render oil from the whales, blubber hooks, and other whaling paraphernalia scattered along the reef. Marine mammals played such an important role in the human history of these islands, it is exciting to be able to return to these sites as a scientist and simultaneously learn about whales’ past and present influence on this area.

Construction on the Hall of Ocean Life began in 1922 and it finally opened to the public in May 1933. Ms. Stiassny says the original hall reflected the 19th century concept that nature served man, focusing on the whaling industry, and activities like pearl-diving. A diorama depicting Pacific pearl divers still stands.

In 1946, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established to regulate whale stocks and “make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry”. It attempted to impose quotas and move the industry toward something more sustainable. This proved difficult, so the IWC simply gave up and imposed a moratorium on whaling altogether. Some countries flounced out in a huff; others had never joined in the first place.

Whaling attacks typically take specific responsibilities of these executive roles into consideration, using focused messaging to trick the victim.