Four whalers from the stern of another whaler

Z00202

Four whalers from the stern of another whaler

 

Four steam whalers as seen from the stern of another whaler. (Copy from a book.)
The Greenland whaling was at its peak in the 1850s. The sailing ships, mainly coming from Dundee, arrived in Shetland in March to sign on local men, and would return again in autumn. The hunters were limited to short summer cruises when the sea was relatively free of ice. On reaching whaling grounds rowing boats were launched from the sailing ships, each crewed by 7 men. A whale was caught by throwing a hand held harpoon, then finally killed by aiming a long lance between the ribs. There could be up to four hours between harpooning and the final kill. In 1850, there were at least 50 whalers that arrived in Shetland, each taking 20-30 Shetland men on board - Shetland men being renowned for their boat handling skills. By the 1870s, over 5700 Shetland men were employed at the whaling, making it the largest employer outside the islands.

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