Whaling and Its Aftermath: Day 5, Symposium Prep

Today we started by watching a documentary about Greenpeace chasing down commercial whaling vessels in the 1970s. We learned about the ways that people protested whaling after the ban in the 70s, and how much killing whales has had an effect on our world. After learning about this, the group brainstormed the most interesting things we learned over the course of the week, and then separated into three different teams to prepare to teach other New Hampton students all about whaling and its history tomorrow during the symposium (our final day).  

Whaling and Its Aftermath Day 3: Whaling Museum and Walking Tour

Day 3

On Wednesday Morning we were awoken by the savory smell of blueberry pancakes wafting into our rooms. After they were hastily devoured we quickly took off downtown to the Nantucket Whaling Museum where we began our extravagant tour. The tour started off with a little bit of historical information about the five predominant families who helped shape the island into what we see today. After the basics were out of the way, our guide started a slide show that gave us the rudimentary knowledge of why the Nantucketers started the whaling process. He also stated the riches they gained like spermaceti oil as well as ambergris (an ingredient in fine perfume), which was highly valued in the 1850s. After the slide show, we were rapidly taken into an old spermaceti candle factory which was an extension of the museum so we could learn about how the candles were made and why they were worth so much––the reason being they were orderless and didn't drip like most candles did at the time. After we were thoroughly educated on the subject, we went over to the scrimshaw section (scrimshaw was the art of carving drawings into the whales' teeth) where some beautiful carvings were on display. Once the tour of the historical museum came to an end, we went off to get lunch at the café down the street from where we were. After lunch, we were met by a very knowledgeable woman who gave us an astounding tour of downtown Nantucket. We learned even more about the island’s history and were lucky enough to go inside of a Quaker meeting house and lots more. After the tour, we were tired from walking around downtown all afternoon, then went back home. After, we went out to eat at a nice restaurant. Once dinner was done, we headed back home to where we watched In the Heart of the Sea, which concluded our second full day on Nantucket.

Ollie & Owen 

Nantucket: Day 2, Sankaty Lighthouse

Day 2:

Today the group met for a late brunch. It was a well needed sleep-in from the long travel day yesterday. The group then set off to the Sankaty Lighthouse on the point of the island. The weather  was a little blustery but the spectacular views made it worth while. We drove around the coast and   got to see the ocean and the coastline. Next the group went to downtown Nantucket. The old cobblestone streets really traced the history of the island. We ate at quaint cafes and shopped the boutiques. Not much was open but we found to our surprise what we were looking for.

We returned for the duration of the afternoon and feasted on a delicious spaghetti dinner, courteously made by our leaders Dr. Woodard and Mr. Shackett. After our dinner we drove to downtown once again for a 7:30 showing of the movie Logan. The movie theater was tiny but had lots of charm and was very private. The movie was both thrilling and heart-provoking at the same time. Now we are getting ready to sleep so we can have an early morning start to the whaling museum tomorrow. 

- Bailey & Gwen

Whaling and Its Aftermath: Day 1, 2017

Essential question: What impact did the whaling industry have on Nantucket's culture and environment, and how does its legacy live on?

Today, we traveled to Nantucket on the slow ferry and got settled. We are excited to begin exploring the island tomorrow!

Whaling And Its Aftermath Slideshow

Whaling And Its Aftermath from Justin Joslin

Whaling and its Aftermath - Day 4

We began our first day back on campus watching In The Heart of the Sea. After all the information we learned it was very interesting to make new connections. It was especially intriguing after the Nantucket Museum had an interactive section for what happened to the Essex. The movie showed a very accurate representation of what we had learned the last few days about the whaling industry and this wreck.

We spent the afternoon reading parts of Moby Dick, as it was inspired by the story of the Essex. We related this to the connections that we made about the movie, book, and real versions that we learned, as well as how the stories represent the whaling industry. Nantucket, New Bedford, Hollywood, and Herman Melville each glorified and condemned different parts of whaling and we spent the rest of the afternoon discussing this.

Off to a group dinner tonight, and planning for the symposium tomorrow!

Whaling and its Aftermath - Day 3

After an amazing couple of days on Nantucket, we sadly took the ferry back to Hyannis. However, the trip wasn’t so bad as within the first few minutes while we searched for whales, we saw a seal sunbathing on the rocks.

Landing in Hyannis we took a trip over to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Here we could solidify what we learned from the Nantucket Museum, including information about how and why they whaled. We also got to see more skeletons of whales and got much more information on the actual biology of the whales. 

While we had learned much about how whales were killed in the past, it was interesting to learn about how whales today are still being killed but through boating accidents. This is even how one of the whale skeletons that was on display in the museum was killed. Not only by boating accidents, but the modern fishing industry, including fishing gill nets. This museum had a half sized replica of an actual whaling ship we were able to board and explore.

After a nice meal, we traveled back to campus, excited for another day learning about the whaling industry.