If you're like the majority of the world, you think of the birth of the Industrial Revolution occurring alongside the discovery of oil in the middle decades of the 19th Century, and like those others, you'll be wrong.
You see, the Industrial Revolution started in the 1700's, not a century later with the discovery of oil. Oil proved irreplaceable as a lubricant, source of light, component of consumer goods, and industrialization on an enormous scale.
However, since petroleum wasn't discovered till about 1850, where did the oil necessary for the Industrial Revolution come from?
Whales. And, in particular, sperm whales. Each a living, breathing oil well.
Though we tend to think of whales being hunted for their meat back then, it is not correct.
The explanation? There was simply no commercial or economic value in whale meat.
Whaling expeditions frequently lasted three years. Without refrigerators or freezers, the meat quickly rotted and was thrown overboard to feed the sharks and other sea creatures.
Blubber, on the other hand, was easily be rendered into oil, stored in barrels, and sold on return to port. It was extremely valuable and essential to the beginning of the Industrial Age.
Back then, there were probably about 1,100,000 sperm whales coursing the seas. The largest bulls could produce 3,000 pounds of the best oil in the world and even average animals produced 30-40 barrels.
It's no accident that the whale in Moby Dick was a giant sperm whale hunted by the whaling ship of Captain Ahab. These were by far and away the most valuable creatures in the world.
It was quickly discovered that whale oil burned much brighter than pork or cattle fat so much so that New England light houses managed to be seen by ships way out to sea.
It also burned much cleaner, with a lot less smoke, permitting it to be utilized in homes of the burgeoning American and British middle class.
More than a century before Thomas Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company, the large City of London had several thousand street lamps---the most of any place on earth---lighted with whale oil.
Sperm oil was so fine it was employed for the most delicate instruments of the Industrial Revolution, from chronometers to wrist watches.
It not only lubricated the earliest machines of the Industrial Revolution, it was responsible for the development of whole industries like England's textile industry. The oil was used to light newly developing textile plants, lubricate newly invented machines, and even mixed with other raw materials like jute to create the clothing folks wore.
50,000 people were employed in textile plants alone---thanks to the sperm whales.
But , of course, sperm whales weren't unlimited and by the middle of the 19th century their numbers had declined by nearly a third.
Fortunately, for roughly a century thereafter, they received a respite because, once petroleum was found, it reduced the use of whale oil.
But, the relief from commercial exploitation did not last.
the resumption of commercial whaling operations in the early 1950s nearly eliminated whales when whaling was taken over by huge fleets of factory ships.
But, in 1980, commercial whaling was banned worldwide (excepting subsistence hunting in some places) and so called "research" whaling by Japan and some Scandinavian states.
Sperm whales are now recovering, albeit slowly.
Today, whale watching has become a significant, and increasing, source of income for states around the globe as tourists flock to see them swim majestically.
While all marvel at these wonderful creatures, nearly anybody alive today knows or appreciates the part they played in the development of the Industrial Revolution that has led on to our ability to develop modern machines, light our streets and buildings, even travel the planet.
For 250 years, our industrialized society needed these magnificent living oil wells to power and lubricate new machines, develop new industries, and even make products from fabrics to lipstick to ointments and clean lights.
But now you know. So, next time you see a whale, tell your family and friends that these whales aren't just another pretty face.
Without them, the Industrial Revolution would look totally different.
About the Author:
Whether you are a regular visitor or planning your next tropical holiday, visit Costa Rica Vacations Blog for great ideas and information. And, when you come, take a day or so for some great Costa Rica whale watching
