Enormous Herd Surrounds the Boat
The whale herd surrounding the boat occupies a minimum of two to three square miles, accounting for wide intervals between the outer revolving circles of the pod and gaps between individual pods within those circles; spoutings visible from the low boat appear to rise nearly to the horizon rim.
Fearless Young Whales Approach the Gunwales
Young, inexperienced whales from the margin of the herd swim directly up to the becalmed boat, displaying unexpected fearlessness as they nuzzle the gunwales; Queequeg pats their foreheads and Starbuck scratches their backs with his lance, but the pair refrains from harpooning the unafraid animals.
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.
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