New Bedford Whaling Museum

Last Sunday after brunch at the Kinsale Inn, we decided to check out the Whaling Museum in New Bedford as a friend had given us 2 free museum passes.

http://www.whalingmuseum.org/

New Bedford is also known as The Whaling City...in the 19th century, it was one of the most important whaling ports in the world. Hence, it's most apt that the Whaling Museum is located there. It's unfortunate that New Bedford is now infamous for being a crime-ridden city and a dangerous place to live in...when it used to be one of the richest cities in USA at the peak of the whaling industry.

We were greeted by 3 huge whale skeletons hanging from above the ceiling when we entered the museum. It isn't a very big museum but there are many interesting exhibits on whales, the whaling industry, lives of the whalers etc.

If you are wondering how big/heavy is a Blue Whale......
That's supposedly a bunk bed on a whaling ship....the space is so tight...can you imagine if you've to sleep on one of these beds for months in a row? *shudder* I kinda regreted not taking some photos of the artworks of whalers. Many of them were so bored on the ship that they started carving/painting on whale bones/teeth.
There's a great view of downtown New Bedford from the top floor of the museum.
It makes me feel kinda sad how the whales were hunted on such a large scale for their meat and oil. I'm glad that such whaling activities aren't that common these days. Can you imagine that back in the 19th century, the whales were literally the ones driving the world's economy - providing fuel that was so essential for industrial developments!!?? If not for the over-hunting, whales may be a much more common sight now.