I just came across this little article talking about whaling. Not the ‘get a big boat and shoot it with a big fucking harpoon‘ kind, but the ‘get a rowboat and a sword and go stab it‘ kind. Crazy.

5. What exactly is the procedure of whaling (with the above-mentioned equipment)?
Row. Halt. Lure the whale to you with song and bate. Carress it. Get a line around its tail or other protrusive parts. Stab it with the sword. It will not die from the first wound, it will go berserk. Hold on to your boat. Whatever happens, hold on to your boat and the whale gets tired and hopefully it looses energy as it bleeds. When it thus calms down, approach it yet again (or, more gracefully, get it to approach you), carress it and stab it. Repeat as needed. Under all normal circumstances, but dependent on the size and age of the whale, it will die within 12 hours from its first wound. Drag the whale to shore (no, whales do not sink upon their death, they float).

Brilliant.

The picture of the guy in the suit and tie is a nice touch as well.