The fateful voyage of Essex

Essex was an American whaler from Nantucket, Massachusetts, which was launched in 1799. In 1820, while at sea in the southern Pacific Ocean under the command of Captain George Pollard, she was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale. Stranded thousands of miles from the coast of South America with little food and water, the 21-man crew were forced to make for land in the ship's surviving whaleboats.