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

5. Whale Fuel Does Exist

Whale oil also called ‘train oil’ (a misnomer due to its Dutch origins) was obtained by extracting blubber from whales and boiling them to get a clear liquid. Based on refinement, the color varied but the end product was “highly-priced oil” that was ironically used to power whaling ships.

Before the massive shift to fossil fuel, whale oil was often mixed with diesel to run ships. Oil was usually extracted on land but when ships were far away, whales were caught and cut up on ships. They were boiled on ships to obtain the oil and it was filled in barrels for further use.