It was not serendipity that the United States whaling fleet fell from a high of 735 ships in 1846 to 39 ships by 1876. It was because of the newfound oil resources in Pennsylvania that followed the discovery of the Drake well in 1859.
Kerosene produced from that oil replaced the whale oil used for lighting American homes. In 1856, whale oil sold for $1.77 per gallon. By 1895, it sold for 7 cents per gallon. Although baleen from whales continued to be used for women’s corsets, spring steel made from the newly developing steel industry crashed that whale product as well. The last whaler left port in 1924.
Petroleum not only saved the whales but also the Galapagos tortoise. Whalers would kill the tortoises for fresh meat as they hunted in that major whaling area.
Our society has benefited from the development and use of petroleum and its products — and so have the whales.
David Fredley
West Deer