Lesley Walker: How to Go a-Whaling
Read Marine Quarterly article as PDF »
Read Marine Quarterly article as PDF »
“There is no better whaling port than New Bedford, Massachusetts. Here I found myself stranded between ships, pockets empty. Before I knew it, I had signed a paper…and it was too late to try swimming ashore.”
Lesley Walker’s connection to the Charles W. Morgan reaches back to the late 19th century when her great-great-grandparents lived on isolated Sunday Island (now Raoul Is.) in the Pacific. In the early years, whaleships were their only connection to the outside world. She is currently working on a book about her ancestors’ experience. "The New Bedford whaling ships not only saved my ancestors’ lives when they were marooned and in danger of dying of starvation in 1870s but were a lifeline for them, providing stores, a whaleboat, human contact, essential supplies and news about the world on their intermittent visits to the island."
Eighty-five individuals from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds sailed aboard the ship and participated in an unprecedented public-history project, using their own perspectives and talents to document their experiences. Meet the Voyagers »