In The Heart Of The Sea
By Nathaniel Philbrick
Summary
To begin with, In The Heart Of The Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick tells the real life story of Moby Dick. It is a book about teamwork and survival. In 1819, the whaleship, Essex, left the small island of Nantucket, in route to the South Pacific to look for whales and their much needed spermaceti oil. In the middle of the Pacific, the ship was rammed by an angry sperm whale and sank. The crew members escaped to three small whale boats and headed for South America. The Captain decided to not head for the closer Marquesas Islands because the natives were known for being cannibals. Most important, the Captain wanted to travel to a place where he believed the crew members could survive and be rescued. For ninety days, the crew drifted in the ocean. Some died from sun and sea waer exposure and others died from hunger, thirst and disease. When food ran out they had to turn to drastic measures in their fight for survival; they ate some of their shipmates. In 1820, two out of the three whale boats were found. Five survivors were rescued by a passing vessel in Chile.
quotes from Nathaniel Philbrick
quote from Nathaniel Philbrick
quote Nathaniel Philbrick
First, in 1819, the crew of the whaleship the Essex, recruited young men and teenagers to sail the South Pacific. Second, while hunting the much needed oil from whales, the boat was rammed by a giant sperm whale double the size of a normal sperm whale. Third, the ship sank and the crew members escaped to three small whaleboats. Next, the twenty surviving crew mates battled against the sea and used up all their food and drink. Once the food was depleted, they were forced to draw straws. The one with the shortest straw was the next meal. All but five died from the elements. In 1820, ninety days after leaving Nantucket, a vessel located two of the three tiny whale boats and the survivors were rescued. Following their rescue, the survivors returned to Nantucket and had to deal with the tragic experiences and the fact that they consumed the flesh of their fellow sailors.