Whale Attacks Essex: Moby Dick's Real Inspiration
An 80-ton sperm whale rammed the whaling ship Essex twice on November 20, 1820, 2,000 miles west of South America. First mate Owen Chase watched in disbelief as the whale turned and accelerated directly into the bow. The ship sank within minutes. Twenty crew members escaped in three small whaleboats with minimal provisions. Over the next 90 days, they drifted across the Pacific, rationing their dwindling supplies until starvation forced the survivors to consume the bodies of their dead companions. Seven men eventually drew lots to determine who would be killed so others could eat. Only eight of the original twenty survived. Chase published his firsthand account in 1821. A young Herman Melville met Chase's son on a whaling voyage, obtained a copy, and annotated it obsessively. The Essex became the foundation of Moby-Dick.
November 20, 1820
206 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Sperm whale
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Herman Melville
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South America
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whaling
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Moby-Dick
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Nantucket, Massachusetts
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Whaleship Essex
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Sperm whale
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Essex (whaleship)
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Whaling
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Nantucket
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Herman Melville
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Moby-Dick
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Antofagasta
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Canibalismo
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1851
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