MARI 3626: Whale History Poster

Luna the Whale

• identified via key markings (see attached), studied since 1986

  • body washed up on shore of Lido Beach, NY in 2023

• key lesson: We are captivated by whales and though much is done for their protection, our everyday actions continue to threaten them. By investigating our shared past that far exceeds a simple predator-prey interaction, we can better understand our current complex relationship

Early Modern England

• Reformation, general upheaval, civil war, scientific revolution

  • specifically to whales: exploration of the sea, new trading routes, commercialization of whaling

• creation of the printing press allows for the use of journals, reports, legal texts, pamphlets, and diaries to investigate our shared past with whales

When was the first whale commercially killed?

1611

Royal Fish

• stranded whales on the shore provided resources; meat, blubber, bones, baleen

  • became the property of the Crown, deemed “Royal Fish”

• useful crutch to claim foreshores for the Crown in England

Sea Monsters

• the English perceived the seas as dangerous, and painted the ocean as breeding grounds for sea monsters

• fear was quickly replaced by opportunity when seafarers realized that there were many riches in whales (oils, bones, etc.)

• whales went from being monstrous and majestic to mundane and useful

  • commercialization of whaling

The Great Leviathan

• more frequent strandings led to further human interactions with whales, and the whale became to be regarded as a religious prodigy and an actor of God

Lesson from Emily’s Dissertation

• Do we still consider the whale as a resource or a monster? One might argue this dichotomy no longer exists. We’ve “saved” the
  whales. Whales are no longer hunted commercially with few exceptions. Stories such as Luna’s are generally met with sadness and
  concern.

• But in many ways, whales are still regarded as “resources”, especially when viewed as sources for ecotourism.

• In some ways, Luna remains a portentous and “monstrous” whale because his death is a sign. Luna’s death shows us exactly how our actions impact the ocean and its inhabitants. And until we learn our lesson, we will continue to receive these portents: dead whales washed ashore, killed by ship strikes, propeller strikes, entanglements, plastic pollution, noise pollution, and so much more.

• It is time to listen.