Sperm Whales Ram Whalers
Sea Tragedies--the Sinking of the Essex and the Anne Alexander
Apr 10, 2008
The First Mate, Owen Chace (1821), witnessed the attack of a vindictive sperm whale upon the whaler, Essex, out of Nantucket, Massachusetts. He lived to write his recollections of the event.
The Essex
My God! Mr. Chace, what is the matter? Said Captain Pollard. I answered: We have been stove by a whale!...
Enraged from the strike of the harpoon, with its flukes (tail), this sperm whale cracked a hole in the longboat Chace and some of his crew were rowing in. The sailors hastily rowed back to their ship before their longboat capsized. Once aboard the ship they witnessed the wounded sperm whale swimming straight for their vessel:
...He came down on us with full speed, and struck the ship with his head ... and he gave us such an appalling and tremendous jar as nearly threw us all on our faces...
Not only did the creature ram the vessel once, it swam off and attacked the vessel again, opening enough of a hole in the hull that the 238 ton, oak ship, sank in 10 minutes. The crew scrambled to secure what they could for supplies and jumped for the remaining longboats. Unfortunately, the supplies were minimal, and they were stranded hundreds of miles away from land. Out of the 20 crew members, only eight survived, 12 perished from dehydration, starvation and the elements.
The Anne Alexander
After harpooning a sperm whale (August of 1851), from one of their longboats, the wounded whale raced ahead towing the boat ( Nantucket Sleigh Ride). Stopping, suddenly, the whale turned and attacked the longboat. After rescue, all sailors returned to the ship. Aboard ship the hunt commenced.
The vessel did not have to search for the targeted sperm whale. It was seen rapidly swimming towards the whaler. Unable to avoid the creature, the whale and ship collided.
Fortunately, for the crew in this incident, they were rescued by another whaler out of Nantucket. Eventually, they were returned home.
Biological Need for Whale Head Butting
There appears to be a biological explanation for this sperm whale behavior. Adult, male sperm whales will butt their heads against one another competing for female sperm whales. Butting also appears to be a means of defense and attack. They are known to engage in this behavior when feeding off giant squid.
Legend states, after the sinking of the Anne Alexander, when the attacking whale was later harpooned and killed, pieces of this vessel were found imbedded in the whale's head.
Source
Frances Diane Robotti, Whaling and Old Salem, Fountainhead Publishers, Inc., 1962, New York 17, NY., inset.
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