In November 1820, the sinking of the whaling ship Essex, along with the survival of part of her crew, thrilled and moved the US public. The year before she had set sail from Nantucket on a new whaling campaign that was scheduled to last two and a half years, sailing the South Pacific.


Captained by George Pollard, the whaling ship Essex was attacked by a large sperm whale, which rammed the ship on various occasions, finally sinking her, some 2,000 nautical miles from the South American coast. Of the 21 crew members only 8 survived.


Herman Melville was inspired by this tragedy to write Moby Dick, one of the masterpieces of world literature. The title of the book is taken from the name given to an actual whale, "Mocha Dick", sighted in the 19th century close to Mocha Island, off the central coast of Chile.