Mocha Dick

Mocha Dick
Mocha Dick: Or The White Whale of the Pacific by Jeremiah N. Reynolds, Cameron and Ferguson, London, Glasgow. 1870.
Other name(s)The White Whale
SpeciesSperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Sexmale
Bornbefore 1800
Died1838
Pacific Ocean
Cause of deathKilled by whalers
Years active1810–38
Known forAttacking ships
Residenceoff Mocha Island
Height70 ft (21 m) in length
Appearancealbino, head covered with barnacles
Named afterMocha Island

Mocha Dick (/ˈmɒə dɪk/; died 1838) was a male sperm whale that lived in the Pacific Ocean in the early 19th century, usually encountered in the waters near Mocha Island, off the central coast of Chile. American explorer and author J.N. Reynolds published his account, "Mocha Dick: Or The White Whale of the Pacific: A Leaf from a Manuscript Journal" in 1839 in The Knickerbocker. Mocha Dick was an albino and partially inspired Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick.[1]

  1. ^ Delbanco, Andrew. Melville, His World and Work. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005: 167–168. ISBN 0-375-40314-0

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