The Wreck of the Whaleship “Essex”

This is the true story which inspired the major motion picture, In the Heart of the Sea, and Melville’s classic Moby Dick. 1820, at the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Sensational in its time, the epic tale still has resonance today. On the morning of November 20th, 1820, the whaleship ‘Essex’ was struck by an enraged sperm whale. The boat started to sink, and the twenty-one crew members who made it into the lifeboats found themselves stranded 2,000 miles from land. They had no maps and little food. This is their extraordinary story. Over ninety days at sea, the crew faced storms, starvation and even the last resort of cannibalism. Owen Chase, the first mate of the ‘Essex’, tells first-hand the harrowing account of the sailors’ attempts to survive against all odds. ‘The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex’ is a thrilling saga and classic tale of courage in the face of insurmountable odds. Owen Chase (1797-1869) was the First Mate of the whale-ship ‘Essex’ and wrote ‘The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex’ about his experiences during and after its deadly wreckage. It was first published in 1821.