Nantucket -- At top is the skeleton of a sperm whale which dwarfs the boat that men used to pursue it. Sperm whales have the largest brains of any animal and their head cavity has plenty of sinuses to store spermaceti, a waxy substance of unknown biological value to the whale, but of great value when refined into candles. A large whale could produce 500 gallons.Such whales were often longer than the mothership itself and could ram it to destroy it. Melville's "Moby Dick" is based upon such a real life disaster that happened to the Nantucket ship Essex in 1819.
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