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

29. Whaling Once Contributed To $10 Million GDP

A sad reality to picture, but whaling was once the fifth-largest sector to contribute to the USA’s GDP. In fact, trade giants such as Unilever built the foundation of their companies on margarine which was initially made from whale oil. Considering the myriad products that were whale-based, it’s easy to fathom just how much revenue could be acquired from a single whaling expedition.

Even when oil was discovered under land, merchants preferred investing in whale oil as the rates were lower and each whale, however small, would at least bring in 30 barrels of oil, especially since land-accrued oil was pricier.