The whale in the novel Moby-Dick was actually based on a notorious albino sperm whale killed off the southern coast of Chile near Mocha Island who was called Mocha Dick. The whale was notorious for attacking whaling ships. At the time of its publication, whaling was a very prosperous industry in the United States and whalers traveled all over the world in search of whale oil for lamps and valuable ambergris for perfume. Although the right whale was considered the most valuable, the sperm whale was also prized for its ambergris. The sperm whale could also be quite aggressive and many whalers lost their lives,as a wounded whale could become vengeful at sea.
The story Moby-Dick was inspired by the real-life account of George Pollard, captain of the whaling vessel Essex which was attacked in the Pacific Ocean by a sperm whale. Pollard and his crew had to endure months at sea facing starvation, dehydration, and cannibalism.
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