Why we killed 3 million whales (in the 20th century)

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
  • Please check out the free in depth career guide at 80000hours.org...
    For all of recorded history mankind hunted whales. Then one song made it stop. How did this happen?
    Sources: docs.google.co...
    I read a lot for this, but for the best introduction to this story check out this amazing book by Joe Roman. It helped me to get an overview and find a lot of juicy quotes. www.amazon.com....
    Hi there, my name is Jochem Boodt. I make the show The Present Past, where I show how the present has been influenced by the past. History, but connected to the present and fun!
    Every episode I show how history has influenced and made a thing, an idea or event in our present time.
    Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage.
    Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images.
    I make different content. You can find me on:
    TikTok: / thepresentpast
    Instagram / the_presentpast
    Twitter : / @thepresent_past
    Logo by: / multicolor_junkie
    If you have an idea for an episode please fill in this form:
    www.dropbox.co...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 246

  • @ThePresentPast_
    @ThePresentPast_  6 місяців тому +9

    Please check out the free in depth career guide at 80000hours.org/presentpast
    Sources: docs.google.com/document/d/1SZYfS92AY79YiAfxi8X6JA0M3jBPJ4pCKaK9Panfa5E/edit?usp=sharing

    • @davisdelp8131
      @davisdelp8131 6 місяців тому

      Nice name change to get more view I get it the algorithm is such a a *****😂

  • @jordanp5469
    @jordanp5469 6 місяців тому +41

    1986????? Wtf man I thought we cut it out right after we learned how to refine oil, that sucks so bad

    • @outdoorfr3ak
      @outdoorfr3ak 3 місяці тому

      Pretty sure it was outlawed most places in 39

    • @communicate17
      @communicate17 2 місяці тому

      Japan still allowed to hunt a few

  • @copiapadus478
    @copiapadus478 6 місяців тому +48

    Dude Jochem. Your videos and subject matters are super interesting. Greetings from Finland 👌

    • @ThePresentPast_
      @ThePresentPast_  6 місяців тому +3

      Glad you think so!

    • @Havrilo2
      @Havrilo2 6 місяців тому +2

      I agree, the knowledge I find in theese videos, is beyond what I would go looking for myself.
      - So thank you, and greetings from Denmark

    • @user-xm6zs6ez6i
      @user-xm6zs6ez6i 5 місяців тому

      @@ThePresentPast_ An author, a cheap propagandist. Don't say "we killed the whales", tell the truth "the British killed the whales"

  • @stijn4771
    @stijn4771 6 місяців тому +10

    Man, how the quality of your videos has increased over time. Insane production quality. Also love it that you dare to address subjects that are not immediately clickbaity or hinging on trends. It keeps your channel original. Keep it going man!

  • @MrLense
    @MrLense 6 місяців тому +51

    On the save the whales topic. There's literally a whole star trek movie dedicated to saving the whales.

    • @MatthewTheWanderer
      @MatthewTheWanderer 6 місяців тому +8

      To be more specific it was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with humpback whales.

  • @ray_99
    @ray_99 5 місяців тому +6

    That reveal at the end really took me by surprise

  • @lorddiana7746
    @lorddiana7746 6 місяців тому +10

    Fascinating how close we actually were to Dishonored's universe in this regard

  • @chrisheartscape2472
    @chrisheartscape2472 6 місяців тому +23

    I think the economics of crude oil has more to do with the cessation of whaling than any publicity campaign.

    • @SteveAkaDarktimes
      @SteveAkaDarktimes 6 місяців тому +6

      yep. and the invention of the gas light, then the electric light.

    • @Loanshark753
      @Loanshark753 3 місяці тому

      True, however there was some whaling afterwards as well. The same can also be said for soft shell tortoise as they were saved by acetate a bioplastic used to make turtoise pattern glasses frames.

    • @64ankka
      @64ankka 3 місяці тому +2

      Did you watch the video? Whaling reached its peak in the 1960s, when petroleum had already overtaken whale oil by orders of maginitude

  • @claire2088
    @claire2088 6 місяців тому +8

    great video- I enjoy how you don't just demonise the whole concept because it is something hugely important to some native cultures, and you really show how it's the industrialisation that turned it from a sacred practice into mass slaughter, that nuance is what I'm here for :)

    • @henrimourant9855
      @henrimourant9855 3 місяці тому

      Ehh I mean killing animals for sacred reasons is still bad. It's just that capitalism expands the killing to a much bigger scale. I don't think saying sorry to the dead body of an animal you just murdered somehow makes killing it good. People would think it would be insane to do that to a human so idk why I should accept it for animals too.

  • @lindaleer7989
    @lindaleer7989 5 місяців тому +2

    I’m a history teacher at an international school in A’dam. Your videos are great at giving a Dutch perspective. This whale video was great and it prompted me to finally get to the maritime museum. It was amazing! Thanks for your great work and please keep making videos, me and my students love them.

  • @Whayles
    @Whayles 6 місяців тому +39

    It’s crazy that Whaling was happening in the 1980s. Whales are absolutely amazing, the book “how to speak whale” was such an interesting look at whales and our relationship with them today, lots of other great stuff about understanding animals!
    Edit: They’re still doing it?! Fuck
    I have no problem with traditional whaling as part of Inuit/native culture. But industrial whaling is insane.

    • @ptonpc
      @ptonpc 6 місяців тому

      Japan does it under the auspices of 'Science' Of course the meat is finds its way to retailers.

    • @gaup3171
      @gaup3171 3 місяці тому +1

      So you are okay with a whale being stabed multiple times with harpoons, held back, exhausted and then when it is resting on the surface the final blow is given. But it being killed instantly with a harpoon cannon, by a fisherman that has to follow regulations and quotas it is crazy and wrong?

    • @SvenLastname
      @SvenLastname 3 місяці тому +1

      ​@@gaup3171one whale to feed a whole tribe for the whole year vs 100s of whales to make a few rich men richer..
      Pick again

    • @gaup3171
      @gaup3171 3 місяці тому

      @@SvenLastnameSo if the fisherman doesn't eat the whole whale himself and god forbid earns some money it is wrong? There are regulations limiting the amount of whales that can be hunted.

    • @gaup3171
      @gaup3171 3 місяці тому

      @@SvenLastname I would even argue that commercial whaling today is more "humane" than all other meat industries.

  • @maty1229
    @maty1229 6 місяців тому +7

    Good video but would be better without the AI-voices

    • @Randomdive
      @Randomdive 6 місяців тому +2

      Sounds super out of place for this type of video

  • @littlegardener8414
    @littlegardener8414 6 місяців тому +9

    It is tragic what humans have done to this planet. I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan, but have tried hard to reduce my animal consumption, mainly just dairy these days.
    It would have been interesting to see some statistics on the recovery of the worst affected species of whale following the reduction in hunting.
    Excellent channel, you put in a great deal of work and I appreciate your content.

  • @Poppa
    @Poppa 6 місяців тому +5

    Is that a cloned AI voice

  • @GarethWareth
    @GarethWareth 6 місяців тому +6

    That closing statement was really powerful. Everyone should try to eat less meat. For health, environmental and arguably moral reasons. I also do eat meat, but do so less than previously. The conversation around meat consumption shouldn't be done with judgement or guilt. That just isn't effective and it's also not kind. It should be practical. Focused around health and the betterment of life for all.

  • @prit04
    @prit04 6 місяців тому +2

    Hope it reaches a much wider audience. Great job!

  • @s.henrlllpoklookout5069
    @s.henrlllpoklookout5069 6 місяців тому +2

    As an American who read Moby Dick last year, you are not wrong about it being boring

  • @outdoorfr3ak
    @outdoorfr3ak 3 місяці тому +1

    Fun fact: many 19th century violin bows were made from baleen

  • @llaftsewyelrebmik5103
    @llaftsewyelrebmik5103 6 місяців тому +10

    Why capitalism? Whales were hunted by many people, under many governments. The idea of specialization, where people divide labor to diversify resources, did not originate with capitalism, nor is it exclusive.
    I would like to see what years whaling was discontinued in various countries. You know, while whales did fuel the early industrial revolution, European and American invention also made whaling obsolete through the discovery of new fuels, lubricants, and materials. While progress can cause depletion of some resources, it can cause better stewardship of others, and perhaps eventually lead to less detrimental impact.
    I enjoy your thoughtful content and look forward to more. Thank you!

    • @gavinshickle1814
      @gavinshickle1814 6 місяців тому

      Because you can blame everything on capitalism. We all know capitalism is evil, right???

    • @Knight766
      @Knight766 6 місяців тому

      @@gavinshickle1814 Capitalism is fine. Greed is evil.

    • @MrJimheeren
      @MrJimheeren 6 місяців тому

      Because capitalism almost drove whales to extinction. Not some Chinese emperors 4000 years ago

  • @georgioslimantzakis339
    @georgioslimantzakis339 6 місяців тому +1

    Great content, as usual! The way you make your point and the whole subject so intersting is inspiring. Keep up the good work!

  • @bholdr----0
    @bholdr----0 5 місяців тому +2

    I just finished a re-read of Moby Dick, and its perspective on whaling is interesting, both semi-modern and definitely archaic, and a definitive hostorical record of the time's perspective (1840s)... Also, I don't understand how anyone could possibly find it boring- it's fascinating, both as literature (with excellent prose and an interesting way of dynamically shifting perspective), and history. Also vis-a-vis philosophical/ religious commentary. Maybe it doesn't have the same flavor/impact for/ on an ESL reader (no offense). But, seriously, it's in the running for the elusive 'Great American Novel', and, even at 800+ pages, it's a quick and captivating read- like 2-3 days for me, and I don't read particularly fast when I can do otherwise, usually, though, I have read it several times before...
    For those who haven't read it- it contains a ton of fairly accurate information about the practice of whaling and the state of the scientific understanding of the biology and life of whales at the time.
    It's also a phenomenal novel, about men's motivations and how such influences theor characters and behaviors, about faith and madness, culture, industry, etc- a very worthwhile read if one hasn't read it yet (or recently).
    I enjoyed this vid, too. Cheers!

  • @Jamsheed1991
    @Jamsheed1991 2 місяці тому +1

    Such a great topic and nicely done. Deserves much more views

  • @luislozano6073
    @luislozano6073 6 місяців тому +2

    Maybe I will see this tomorrow so I dont get depressed before sleeping

  • @pwhitewick
    @pwhitewick 6 місяців тому +1

    Fantastic edit. Thank you.

  • @Xeonerable
    @Xeonerable 6 місяців тому +1

    Well you know as they say.... you don't appreciate something until you don't have it anymore.
    We pride ourselves as the smartest creature on this planet as we relentlessly work to destroy the delicate ecosystem that has taken millions of years to develop.

  • @geoffreydesena587
    @geoffreydesena587 16 днів тому

    I wasn’t expecting this video to be sponsored by PETA.

  • @existentialcrisisactor
    @existentialcrisisactor 6 місяців тому +7

    There are plenty of people that would do voice work. AI is cheap trash and makes the video come across as lazy.

    • @kiuk_kiks
      @kiuk_kiks 6 місяців тому +1

      I disagree. May as well get used to AI. It’s here to stay.

  • @c.a.fontaine1074
    @c.a.fontaine1074 4 дні тому

    The fact that the whaling industry was keeping people in the dark about whales isn't shocking at all, it reminds me of how the factory farming industry tries to keep people in the dark.

  • @ilghiz
    @ilghiz 6 місяців тому +2

    20:20
    Громкость / volume (sound)
    Сеть / network (power grid)

  • @wordytoed9887
    @wordytoed9887 6 місяців тому +1

    Glad to see this channel improving. Still needs more eyes and subs!!!

  • @zyppy3742
    @zyppy3742 6 місяців тому +9

    Wonderful video with a great message, even got me a bit teary-eyed :)

  • @HALP1234
    @HALP1234 6 місяців тому +1

    I’ve been vegetarian / vegan for 7 years

  • @MrLense
    @MrLense 6 місяців тому +2

    This was a hard watch, so is much of our history

    • @ThePresentPast_
      @ThePresentPast_  6 місяців тому +3

      Its wild how it went on so long, especially when it was far beyond any necessity.

  • @henrimourant9855
    @henrimourant9855 3 місяці тому +1

    I absolutely love that you talked about our selective empathy for animals. I am a vegan and I really appreciate it. Fish and many other animals are being mass murdered just like the whales were.

  • @waldojpg
    @waldojpg 6 місяців тому +3

    I had goosebumps at the end. Thank you for that

  • @physetermacrocephalus2209
    @physetermacrocephalus2209 6 місяців тому +3

    Your Whale-come.

  • @user-zh6ul3fu4u
    @user-zh6ul3fu4u 6 місяців тому +3

    I subscribed to your channel for a few months. Your presentation is very amazing and topics are fascinating really love your work.. from Bhutan

  • @Timothy-xd
    @Timothy-xd 6 місяців тому +1

    Unexpected message ❤

  • @thestomache
    @thestomache 6 місяців тому +1

    More people need to see this

  • @stevoplex
    @stevoplex 6 місяців тому +5

    Excellent video! I came to America from landlocked Czechoslovakia and for decades grew up among the legacy of the whaling industry (Bridgeport, New Haven, Mystic, Boston, Salem). All of which are happy to put that dark history behind them.
    I have been inspired to change my career trajectory from Defense Contractor to Environmental Engineering.
    My brother in Switzerland has had no similar experience with the catastrophic failure of the early feeble efforts of the Swiss whaling industry, but he does share my sentiment and is also a doctorate level expert in Environmental Science in Geophysicics. 😊

  • @CG-eh6oe
    @CG-eh6oe 6 місяців тому +1

    Is it just me or is your style very close to Johnny Harris (but factually correct...)?

    • @MrTuttiFrutti
      @MrTuttiFrutti 27 днів тому

      It is, I noticed that too. But like you said, it's factually correct, so it's great because what's good about Johnny is the visual style, not the content.

  • @djepodjepo
    @djepodjepo 6 місяців тому

    Goede video, Jochem! Zit superstrak in elkaar! Complimenten!

  • @u-mos8820
    @u-mos8820 6 місяців тому +43

    preserved; Not saved. Unless we're uplifting or enlightening them they'll still be at the mercy of this chaotic world. Worse than we are. Not sure why I felt the need to make such a pointless distinction.

    • @jezusbloodie
      @jezusbloodie 6 місяців тому

      Interesting. Might be sooner than later and perhaps even without altering their biology. If the efforts of Project CETI, a massive international initiative to translate whale to human and vica versa via AI launched in 2020, prove fruitful; perhaps their rights can be enschrined in (intnational) legislature enschringing them as person (like corperations are) so they can defend their interests in court or they might rent mercenaries once we can actually converse with...
      Might be closer to near future than far future

    • @NT-sm5jk
      @NT-sm5jk 6 місяців тому

      Leave them to be preserved what's wrong with that

    • @bholdr----0
      @bholdr----0 5 місяців тому +1

      *Insert Star Trek IV joke here. (Re: preserved vs saved- I think we are all F'd, so, i consider that since whales are around for now, that's a win.
      (Btw, I've seen/been in the water with them at my favorite surfing spot (Grays) several times, pretty close up. As 'majestic' (or whatever) as the are... those suckers stink! Bad! (Appearently they come to that spot because it has a rocky bottom, to scrape off barnacles, lice, etc.)
      I swear I saw them deliberately spray (spout on from upwind) a guy that had kept trying to get close to them on his silly stand-up paddle board. The Native Americans locals laughed, and thought he got what he deserved (Their tribe used to hunt them, but hasn't in the last 60-ish years, and has some traditions about not screwing with them if one wasn't serious...)

    • @u-mos8820
      @u-mos8820 5 місяців тому

      @@bholdr----0 That was a nice little thing to read. I aspire to never let a whale read it though, they won't ascend on my watch.

  • @iptamenoslagos
    @iptamenoslagos 6 місяців тому

    Excellent as always. Big congrats!

  • @fiendsofhiraya
    @fiendsofhiraya 4 місяці тому +1

    Thank you for making this video @thepresentpast Even though it doest’t have as many views as your other more trending videos… it does not diminish the importance of this subject. Thank you for sticking to your content creation with integrity. The millions of silent victims who have souls do not ignore the karmic implications of your efforts to speak for them. One day this barbaric practice of cruelty will be brought down and it is people like you who are not afraid to speak your truth who are the pioneers to this awakening.

    • @MrTuttiFrutti
      @MrTuttiFrutti 27 днів тому

      Well said!
      At first I was surprised that the video had so few views and even fewer likes, but when I got to the end of the video, it became clear to me why. It's because of the powerful message.
      People just don't like hearing this truth because it makes them think about their actions.

  • @SteveAkaDarktimes
    @SteveAkaDarktimes 6 місяців тому

    now Whales and dolphins suffer extreme problems from stress and noise pollution from mass tourism.

  • @tekktori
    @tekktori 4 місяці тому

    this video has me in tears. but when you showed the part about the chicken/cow/pigs ... i had to pause and just sit there with my mouth open for a minute.
    holy shit.

  • @ElvingsMusings
    @ElvingsMusings 6 місяців тому +1

    "There's death in their dark eyes. These creatures, burnt alive to light the world."
    --- DISHONORED: DEATH OF THE OUTSIDER

  • @hoogyoutube
    @hoogyoutube 6 місяців тому +2

    Bbbanger

  • @adrianalexandrov7730
    @adrianalexandrov7730 6 місяців тому

    I would say that the story is about how capitalism saved whales.
    And I recall couple of stories where it was the government that ruined the ecology. Like when the government imported cane toads to Australia, or had a campaign against sparrows in China.

  • @Kamome163
    @Kamome163 6 місяців тому +4

    Beautiful video❤️

  • @H0mework
    @H0mework 6 місяців тому

    My friend told me cultured meat's requirements for fetal amino acids has ended and it's why meat has gotten cheaper, so cultured meat won't be far. Factory farming, wet aging and lots of other factors makes me excited to see it go, but I suspect a Soylent product is probably what 99% of people will eat: a nutritious, cheap, boring food that reenforces that time spent cooking is for the rich.

  • @Sephiths
    @Sephiths 6 місяців тому +4

    The idea of completely stopping eating meat is interesting. Because a big reason why a huge portion of our domesticated animals exist is for consumption.
    Many different breeds of chickens would simply be condemned for extinction.
    Some breeds such as most turkeys bred today are completely dependent on artificial insemination.
    Without the idea of re-using the meat of cattle for consumption. And with modern day milk alternatives. I can see cows becoming locally extinct outside of India.
    Pigs are used as pets in some scenarios. But they don't have any secondary functions such as unfertilized eggs, milk, or fur to be harvested. And grow way too big for most people to handle within household environments.
    Releasing these animals into the wild is not an option. Invasive species and how they effect a region's biodiversity is an even bigger issue.
    It's also not all that extreme to say weighing the life of a chicken vs the life of a whale just isn't the same. There's so many factors to consider.
    What is the reproductive cycle of a wild animal, what rate of our consumption is sustainable for the population?
    What is an animal's role in an ecosystem (domestic animals are often mostly removed from the ecosystem altogether)
    intelligence. Fact of the matter is. Whales are a lot more complex then a bird. While Birds are a lot more complex then a fish or an insect.
    Fish are great in theory since they're relatively simple body plans don't require that much energy and resources to grow and reach maturity. However, overfishing is a thing and the only growth we should be seeing within the fishing industry today *should* be strictly through Aquiculture. As most fisheries in our oceans are operating at capacity or beyond.
    Regardless. We evolved with meat actively being apart of our diet. And I don't see it going away any time soon. So it's probably wiser to first promote and prioritize more sustainable farming practices such as eating significantly less beef in favor of Chickens, Fish, and insects. While we wait for promising potential advancements in lab grown alternatives.

    • @_Dope_
      @_Dope_ 6 місяців тому

      Very interesting point .

    • @MrTuttiFrutti
      @MrTuttiFrutti 27 днів тому

      Technically you are right, since we humans have bred, domesticated and modified these animals over so many years, they probably wouldn't survive in the wild without our intervention, but I have a simple question for you.
      Would you rather live a life of pain and torture and then be horribly murdered a couple of years later, or would you rather not even be born into that life?
      Put yourself in that situation, what is the meaning and value of such a short life full of suffering...?

    • @Sephiths
      @Sephiths 27 днів тому

      ​ @MrTuttiFrutti It's not that they couldn't survive in the wild. It's that they shouldn't be allowed to establish themselves as an invasive species in the ecosystem. I would much rather them being culled. The natural ecosystem has to priority over any individual animal. It's sad and harsh. But you simply can't release those animals. They would have to be culled (most of the time they will be culled anyway once fully grown).
      I am fine with smaller scale extinctions of some domesticated breeds. As some breeds arguably shouldn't exist at all. But there should still be efforts. A forced life boat if you will. To maintain the main lineages/breeds of the animals we've domesticated thus far. Domesticating an animal is no easy feat. Once an animal is domesticated it's relatively easy by comparison to specialize a breed. But the act of domesticating the wild relative was not such an easy accomplishment.
      Thankfully most animals have secondary biproducts that aren't strictly for consumption. Ex. Eggs. Wool. Milk. Silk. Honey.
      But I still think the idea that we should all stop eating meat is not a realistic idea for global food security.
      The more realistic approach would to be to standardize and over regulate factory farming conditions. To promote better standards of living while also giving more wigggle room for smaller more traditional farms. Which don't have a lot of the same issues as factory farms do. As someone who has raised livestock with my family growing up on a farm. You're able to cut down on a crapton of food scrap in the process. Your animals live a healthier more fulfilling life then that in a crowded stall from a factory farm. And you feel better knowing where your meat comes from.
      Traditional farms will still cull animals as they approach the end of their useful lifecycle. But the life of a herd of cattle with a large fenced in field to graze in isn't nearly as controversial. Propery farms usually keep their chickens in a large fenced coop or free ranged. IF you want to make a difference, shop at your local farmers market instead of a grocery store.
      Fish and insect species should really see state sponsored/substituted growth in the market. Due to their lower environmental impact/energy requirements. They also, frankly speaking, have less complexity in their body plans, behaviors and intelligence. (When I talk about fish. I strictly mean aquiculture, not fish sourced from our ocean fisheries). We should also be making more active attempts to put more invasive species on the menu.

    • @MrTuttiFrutti
      @MrTuttiFrutti 26 днів тому

      @@Sephiths I appreciate your extensive response. But you didn’t answer my question. Here are my few points.
      If we stop artificially breeding the animals, as we do now, their numbers will plummet and they will not be able to reproduce as much on their own. The few remaining ones could be kept in sanctuaries to prevent them from becoming completely extinct.
      It is entirely feasible for everyone to stop eating meat and is even necessary to avoid future climate and health problems. Meat is a very inefficient food source, it takes a lot of resources to create 1 kg of meat.
      Your solution is detailed, but it doesn’t address the moral question. The conditions in which the animals are kept are one problem, another is that they are ultimately all slaughtered the same way. They are living creatures and do not want to die, just like us humans.

    • @Sephiths
      @Sephiths 25 днів тому

      @@MrTuttiFrutti reducing our meat consumption would be fantastic. But avoiding it all together is a bad idea. Most people don't want to actually watch every little detail about what their eating. What vitamins, nutrients, calories. It's a lot easier just to eat the food. Maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge even for Vegetarians who attempt to track all their data. Who often end up feeling like they have extremely low energy every day and get sick more easily.
      Meat has been a staple of our diet for millions of years. Since before we were even what most would consider human beings.
      As for the moral questions. Nobody wants to die but it doesn't change the fact that we're going to die anyway. Predation is part of the natural order of things. It may seem a little unfair based on our current level of advancement and presumed separation from the natural order. But it's an effective survival strategy. Additionally farming animals allows us to negate our impact what's left of our natural ecosystem without continuing to over hunt it. (Minus the times we're we should step in. Since we killed off and replaced the local apex predators. Like how we typically don't have enough wolves to control deer populations. Hunting is also an option to put invasive species on the menu.). Improving the conditions so that that the animals in the industry aren't in misery would be hugely benifitial. Yes it's sad animals still have to die. But don't let the fact that animals are still going to die negate the ideas we can use to better the morality within the meat industry.
      Just because the meat industry isn't efficient. It doesn't mean we can't make it more effectient. We can reduce the dairy industry especially through the adoption of and popularity of milk alternatives. Weighing the energy requirements to grow a cow vs say a chicken is absurd. There are vastly more effectient meat options outside of beef and pork. I'm all for the increase of fish and insect farms so that we can reduce those other industries.

  • @SuperFeeltheburn
    @SuperFeeltheburn 6 місяців тому +1

    Some day, I hope so.

  • @brusnica1050
    @brusnica1050 6 місяців тому

    One the thing that should be pointed out:
    The reason those hunters didn't have an incentive to restrain themselves from hunting whales - and save some in order to re-grow the population - is that someone else could just come and hunt down those whales. In other words, no one owned the ocean or part of the ocean, everything belonged to anyone who gets there - so why bother preserving the whale population when someone else will hunt them anyways?
    Today we could privatize parts of the ocean so that fishing companies have an clear incentive to preserve fish populations and keep the water ,,clean" in order to preserve the quality of their product (with certain regulations of course ).

  • @maxmcgrubor4028
    @maxmcgrubor4028 6 місяців тому +1

    Truly excellent work. Thank you 🙏

  • @outdoorfr3ak
    @outdoorfr3ak 3 місяці тому

    Dude the true story of Captain Ahab is almost as good as the story of Shackleton are you insane?!

  • @NamNguyen-yj9yv
    @NamNguyen-yj9yv 6 місяців тому

    9:09 my bro was speechless

  • @siemdecleyn3198
    @siemdecleyn3198 6 місяців тому +1

    Fascinating story that tells us so much about this amazing species:
    Homo sapiens

  • @makelovenotwar2467
    @makelovenotwar2467 6 місяців тому

    Great video! Greetings from Groningen 😉

  • @shantanusapru
    @shantanusapru 6 місяців тому +1

    Mass consumption & commercialisation perverts everything........

  • @mabeast502
    @mabeast502 Місяць тому

    8:12 I’d like to visit the museum with the Greenland White Whale installation. Where is this?

  • @Cheruka
    @Cheruka 5 місяців тому

    dude, even I subscribed you 2 months ago I forget your name and couldn't find you. I typed "dutch johnny harris". I'm sorry, Ik vind je video's geweldig

  • @CheeseWithMold
    @CheeseWithMold 6 місяців тому

    Fantastic video. I'm appreciative of how we've moved on (for the most part) from whaling. It's still, however, a shame that our own issues with other humans still has a negative effect on marine wildlife in the form "sound" pollution in the oceans made by sonar pulses.

  • @vazeyo
    @vazeyo 6 місяців тому

    13:35
    Lol, don't be sorry. Moby Dick just is BORING. I mean, there is a reason why the movie with Patrick Stewart essentially only shows the first 6 and the last 3 chapters of the book. The middle just is a pain to read through.

  • @Nerd3927
    @Nerd3927 6 місяців тому +2

    This is a master piece my Friend, Well done!

  • @Jagentic
    @Jagentic 2 місяці тому

    I asked the straightforward question about the biomass of whales being the biggest hunt in human history and Claude3.5 vehemently disagrees::
    That's not correct. In terms of biomass, the largest hunt in human history is actually for krill, not whales.
    Krill are small crustaceans that form a crucial part of the marine food web. They are harvested in massive quantities, primarily in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. The annual global catch of krill is measured in hundreds of thousands of tons, far exceeding the biomass of whales hunted even during the peak of commercial whaling.
    The krill fishery is primarily used for:
    1. Aquaculture feed
    2. Omega-3 dietary supplements
    3. Pet food
    4. Bait in sport fishing
    While whaling has historically been a significant hunt, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries, it doesn't compare to the scale of krill harvesting in terms of biomass.
    Would you like more information about krill fishing or its environmental impacts?

  • @northamericanintercontinen3207
    @northamericanintercontinen3207 6 місяців тому

    Whaling even made it to Star Wars in the EU, the Whaladons of Heir to the Empire and also to professional sports with the former NHL Hartford Whalers and iconic team that deserves to return and that I hope donates a part of its proceeds to the conservation of whales.

  • @Rebasepoiss
    @Rebasepoiss 6 місяців тому +1

    Fascinating story! :)

  • @dorokhovos
    @dorokhovos 6 місяців тому

    Straight out like for the titles, seriously!

  • @benmcreynolds8581
    @benmcreynolds8581 6 місяців тому +1

    This is SUCH a good video! I've always been fascinated by this sorta macabre part of our history. I've really wanted to see an in depth explanation of the transition away from this era.. Great work dude!

  • @supremepartydude
    @supremepartydude 6 місяців тому

    Thanks for documenting a very ugly period for whale harvesting in American history but other nations were involved in doing this as well.

  • @titlingur2009
    @titlingur2009 6 місяців тому

    My country has the longest record of whale harvesting in the world and we still harvest whale. We dont go out and search for whale, but if spotted my some random boat or ship. We go out and get it and I support this way, but I will never support commercial whaling.

  • @godfather1860
    @godfather1860 6 місяців тому

    It's too cruel, man. I can't even watch this video completely. I can't believe humans could be that outrageous.

  • @IMPERIALYT
    @IMPERIALYT 6 місяців тому +3

    Very epic

  • @kchabangu
    @kchabangu 5 місяців тому

    Who determines what hurting animals is for the sake of consumption? Genuine question, if death is death are we saying the way the death is performed or is it the living conditions of the animals just before death? Or is it the quality that is killed a day or month or year? The yard stick becomes almost impossible without being self righteous to some. And who determines what animals can be eaten? Western society has determined what they deem acceptable but there are far more people with differing beliefs and preferences, who’s to say theirs are wrong? If a dog is a delicacy and a cow is revered then who has the right to pass judgement? This is just an interesting thought that comes up whenever such topics come up

  • @kootenpv
    @kootenpv 6 місяців тому

    Nice video!

  • @Gr8dane85
    @Gr8dane85 6 місяців тому +4

    How many plants die every day for human consumption?

    • @_Dope_
      @_Dope_ 6 місяців тому

      Vegetarians dont consider plants as living beings xD

    • @TACTICALwaffle2
      @TACTICALwaffle2 6 місяців тому

      You also have to count the massive number of animals that die to grow vegetable

    • @_Dope_
      @_Dope_ 6 місяців тому

      @@TACTICALwaffle2 yeah

    • @MrTuttiFrutti
      @MrTuttiFrutti 27 днів тому

      First of all, plants don't "die" because they don't "live" like humans and animals do.
      Also, if you really care about plants, I assume you don't consume them, but then again, what do you think animals you eat are fed?
      It's fascinating how those who don't care about animals suddenly become plant rights activists.

  • @masaharumorimoto4761
    @masaharumorimoto4761 3 місяці тому

    Great video, I can't afford to eat anything other than rice and processed meat, vegetables are too expansive and they rot in 24 hours :(

  • @PupthePitbull
    @PupthePitbull 3 місяці тому

    Do a show about saving the human babies who also have beating hearts that get killed before they even have a chance to see the world. Im guessing this probably wont happen because hypocrisy is just too easy for most people.

  • @dantetre
    @dantetre 6 місяців тому

    No mention of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home from 1986?!

  • @shifly6276
    @shifly6276 6 місяців тому

    Great video

  • @shantanusapru
    @shantanusapru 6 місяців тому

    7:52 -- This is questionable, and there is no evidence to support this etymology.
    This, however, is a common mistake. Even the Encyclopedia Britannica (online version) also makes this error, without substantiating or quoting any source.
    "Despite this highly plausible rationale, nobody actually knows how the right whale got its name. The earliest references to the right whale offer no indication why it was called that, and some who have studied the issue point out that the word "right" in this context might just as likely be intended "to connote 'true' or 'proper,' meaning typical of the group." - E.J. Dolin, Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, quoting a 1766 Connecticut Courant newspaper article. (From Wikipedia)

  • @zalareberc7858
    @zalareberc7858 6 місяців тому +1

    INSANEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

  • @sdevoid
    @sdevoid 6 місяців тому

    Who is your Attenborough sound-alike?

  • @michaelhiggins9188
    @michaelhiggins9188 6 місяців тому +2

    This is a wonderful video. I have been waiting a long time for another one from you and I was not disappointed.
    The part at the end about vegetarianism is interesting, and I had not really made the connection to whaling until you did. I have been been fully vegetarian for 30 years and I have found that it is easier if I avoid anything that tastes too much like meat. I have gotten used to eating lots of lentils and beans and some cheese.

  • @9delta988
    @9delta988 6 місяців тому

    What's with the name change of the video?

  • @Isxiros100
    @Isxiros100 3 місяці тому

    Wait why is eating cats and dogs equated as being the same as hunting or eating endangered animals?
    In many parts of the world both domestic and wild dogs have been traditional foods for communities.
    I'm not here to say that eating cats and dogs is good. But I think that the western view of these animals as pets makes us judgmental....when really most livestock is domesticated and we are just removed from the process.
    Killing whales and endangered species is a completely different thingvespecially when hunted on a commercial scale.

  • @benbutcher9672
    @benbutcher9672 6 місяців тому +1

    Dunno why everyone talks about a war on capitalism. Let alone how sealife would beat it. Weird.

    • @Knight766
      @Knight766 6 місяців тому

      No economic system/ideology is permanent.

    • @benbutcher9672
      @benbutcher9672 6 місяців тому +1

      @@Knight766 Until someone comes up with a better alternative than communism, I'll stick to having food.

    • @Knight766
      @Knight766 6 місяців тому

      @@benbutcher9672 You sound like someone who doesn't own a passport and is poorly travelled

    • @benbutcher9672
      @benbutcher9672 6 місяців тому

      @@Knight766 Awesome, unprovoked ad hom. Care to elaborate, or are you just going to construct images of people in your imagination so you can actually win arguments?

    • @Knight766
      @Knight766 6 місяців тому

      @@benbutcher9672 Vietnam is a communist country with incredible food. Been there a few times. Here are hunger stats for Vietnam:
      Vietnam hunger statistics for 2020 was 5.70%, a 0.5% decline from 2019.
      Vietnam hunger statistics for 2019 was 6.20%, a 0.6% decline from 2018.
      Vietnam hunger statistics for 2018 was 6.80%, a 0.4% decline from 2017.
      Vietnam hunger statistics for 2017 was 7.20%, a 0.6% decline from 2016.
      Communism isn't the only possible alternative to capitalism, it's also widely accepted that we are at late-stage capitalism. It will change into something else eventually, wether you like it or not...and so will communism.
      Relax, you have no control.

  • @davisdelp8131
    @davisdelp8131 6 місяців тому

    Nice name change to get more views

  • @herzogsbuick
    @herzogsbuick 6 місяців тому

    at least i enjoyed the history lesson

  • @shinyribs2178
    @shinyribs2178 5 місяців тому

    Part of me doesn't understand the ferver surrounding whaling, or the people offended by it.
    Humans literally cannot exist without resources. Native American's are revered for their ability to live off the land and to not waste any part of the animals they harvested. However, if you harvest a whale for resources and use it's bones for a purpose people are horrified by it.
    The vast majority of people survive off chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers but will readily climb upon a high horse when it comes to whales.
    Obviously, harvesting resources needs to be done responsibly, whether that's wild life, sea creatures, fruit, vegetables,etc. So, yeah... dessimating a species for profit is ridiculous, but there's nothing inherently wrong with whaling. Similar to a tree in the forest that you can harvest for lumber, or you can "save" it...and it will just die, rot and that resource is now turned to dirt and lost forever. Which is really the most responsible use of a resource? Ethical harvesting, or standing back and watching it live, die and waste away to nothing?

  • @josephinemcmahon7286
    @josephinemcmahon7286 6 місяців тому +1

    I felt impacted by this story, thanks for making this one

  • @MrTuttiFrutti
    @MrTuttiFrutti 27 днів тому

    Excellent video, very well done and presented. And above all, very powerful message at the end! I'm glad you included it.
    Keep up the great work ✌🏻

  • @rei_cirith
    @rei_cirith 6 місяців тому +2

    I think it's perfectly normal for humans to eat meat. But the excess, the way we've come to treat it like inanimate objects, and the amount that goes to waste is appalling. Factory farming of animals need to stop.

  • @w49000
    @w49000 6 місяців тому +1

    Thanks!

  • @akarayan
    @akarayan 4 місяці тому

    It’s interesting how so many people nowadays speak of anything European or American with such disdain but hold traits of other cultures as noble and right. Thule and Eskimo peoples hunting whales is noble and just but Europeans doing it is evil because it’s for profit. Christianity is evil and destructive yet any spiritual aspect of other cultures is serene and noble. Very interesting.

  • @rubenrathgeber458
    @rubenrathgeber458 6 місяців тому +1

    rarely been that early, great video as always :D

  • @maxgrozema1093
    @maxgrozema1093 6 місяців тому

    Opens with dutch sailors hunting whales.
    We dutch really were the demons of the world eh?

  • @supremepartydude
    @supremepartydude 6 місяців тому

    hey dude you stopped eating meat in the last few years but I have not eaten meat since 1985. If you dream about bacon try fake Bacon Os which is fake bacon. I love the stuff and would never go back to regular bacon.