I am embarrassed to admit that last week was my first visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The 100 year old museum is the largest museum in America devoted to the history of the American whaling industry and its greatest port, New Bedford.

New Bedford is still the largest U.S. fishing port in terms of dollar value of catch. It has beautiful historic buildings and a rich history that may be rather surprising if all you ever do is drive by on interstate 195.

The first image is of a baleen whale, which was struck by a super tanker off the coast of Rhode Island in 1998. It is one of only three Blue Whales on display in the world. It measures about 65 feet long, and would have grown to 120 feet at maturity.

The second image is of a Sperm Whale that was found beached on Nantucket in 2002. Sperm whales helped make New Bedford the whaling capital of the world and one of America’s wealthiest cities in the 1800s. The whales were hunted and harvested mainly for their oil, which was used as lamp fuel and to make candles.

If you have a chance to visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum I highly recommended it!