Underwater Nurseries of Whale Mothers and Calves
Looking over the boat’s side, the crew sees an underwater world of suspended nursing mother whales and near-term pregnant whales in the clear deep water; a newborn calf roughly 14 feet long and 6 feet in girth is visible, its flukes still bearing the crumpled shape from its time curled in the maternal womb, and the young whales gaze up at the boat as if it is a piece of seaweed.
Central Pod Whales Revel in Peaceful Dalliance
Whales in the innermost circles of the herd remain completely unruffled by distant chaos, freely and serenely indulging in peaceful dalliance and joyful interaction, undisturbed by the commotion of hunting boats on the pod’s periphery.
Queequeg Identifies the Whale Umbilical Cord
Looking over the gunwale, Queequeg spots long, spiraling coils rising from the water and identifies them as the umbilical cord tethering a young whale to its mother, a rare view of the natural maternal connection between the calf and its dam.
Sperm Whale Breeding and Nursing Details
The excerpt includes details of sperm whale breeding and nursing: they breed year-round, have a roughly nine-month gestation period typically producing one calf at a time (occasionally twins, accommodated by two teats positioned near the anus), their milk is sweet and rich enough to be eaten with strawberries, and wounded nursing mothers can discolor the sea with a mix of milk and blood.
Wounded Rampaging Whale Terrorizes the Herd
A whale wounded by a short-handled cutting-spade (used to hamstring powerful, fast whales) breaks free with the spade still embedded in its flesh; the loose rope attached to the spade becomes tangled in the harpoon line wrapped around the whale’s tail, leaving the spade loose in the water and driving the whale into a mad, violent rampage where it flails and wounds other herd members with the sharp tool.
Herd Panics and Enters Collective Flight
The rampaging, tormented whale triggers widespread panic across the entire herd: whales on the pod’s margin crowd and tumble against each other, the underwater nursery areas disappear, and the herd collapses into a single dense mass before launching a rapid, unified flight.
Boat Narrowly Escapes Tumbling Whale Pods
The boat is nearly crushed between two massive whales, but the crew rows through a series of narrow gaps between tumbling whale pods to escape; during the close calls, Queequeg loses his hat to the air current created by the sudden flick of a nearby whale’s flukes.
Aftermath: Single Drugged Whale Captured
After the herd flees, the remaining boats collect drugged whales that fell behind the pod, but only one of the drugged whales is successfully captured; the rest escape temporarily, destined to be caught by other whaling ships at a later date.
CHAPTER 88. Schools and Schoolmasters.
Sperm whales organize into two distinct types of schools: harems of females attended by a dominant male, and bands of young vigorous males called forty-barrel-bulls. The harem male, termed the schoolmaster, guards his females jealously, attacking any presumptuous young Leviathan who approaches too closely, yet despite his vigilance he cannot prevent rival admirers from challenging him, leading to fierce battles that leave survivors scarred with furrowed heads, broken teeth, and damaged fins. The text elaborates on the schoolmaster’s eventual fate, describing how as years advance and passions wane, this “Grand Turk” forsakes his harem, becomes solitary, and drifts alone among the seas like a penitent old Daniel Boone wedded to Nature herself. When whalers strike a member of a harem school, the others linger protectively around their wounded companion, often becoming prey themselves, whereas the young male schools immediately abandon any member who is struck—a stark contrast that underscores the different characters of the sexes.
Introduction to Whale Schools
Although immense bodies of sperm whales are occasionally encountered, small detached bands of twenty to fifty individuals are also observed. These bands are known as schools.
Two Sorts of Schools
Schools generally come in two varieties: those composed almost entirely of females, and those containing only young vigorous males or bulls.
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