Brutal and Sad Facts About Whaling That More People Should Know About

11. Nantucket Sleighride Is The Whaler’s Death Ride

As cheerful as it sounds, the Nantucket Sleighride is no joy ride.

In the olden days, as soon as a whale was spotted, whalers speared it with a harpoon. The whale goes to high speeds to try and escape leading the whalers on a high-intensity chase. The chase goes on until the whale gets tired and easy to attack, occasionally whalers would slash their necks whenever the whale gets closer to hasten the process until the whale succumbs.

This lengthy chase that usually ended with the death of the whale is what was termed as the Nantucket Sleighride.