Centuries of Whaling
When Vikings roamed the Atlantic Ocean long ago, one of the greatest prizes they sought was whales. Way back in the 1100s, the struggle between whale and sailor was a fairly even one, but over time, whaling methods grew more and more advanced. By the mid-1800s, whaling had become a big business.
Norwegian whalers. the modern descendants of the Vikings, were among the leaders in whaling technology. In 1863, a Norwegian sea captain created a new type of whaling ship. The 82-foot-long boat was sleek and swift, fast enough to catch up with even the fastest swimming whale. It also had bomb harpoons. These harpoons were tipped with bombs that would explode inside the whale. They caused death much sooner than ordinary harpoons. Suddenly, the seas were even more dangerous than ever for whales.
By the late 1800s, many whale species were endangered. The numbers of both the right whale and the bowhead whale dropped sharply. Because these whales were slower than the new boats, they were easy to kill. Sadly, millions of whales were slaughtered before a ban on whaling was agreed upon in 1982. Since then, whaling has been prohibited and successfully stopped. But almost all kinds of whales still suffer because of the extensive whaling in the past.
What is the passage mostly about?
What finally stopped widespread whaling?
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