Story perspectives
Today in History: Whaleship Essex sinks after sperm whale attack
11/20/2025
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Story summary
- On November 20, 1820, the American whaling ship Essex sank in the southern Pacific Ocean after being attacked by a sperm whale. Commanded by Captain George Pollard Jr., the crew of 20 was left to navigate 2,000 nautical miles to safety in whaleboats, an ordeal that later inspired Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby-Dick.
