 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 |
|---|---|
| Species | Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) |
| Sex | male |
| Born | before 1800 |
| Died | 1838 Pacific Ocean |
| Cause of death | Killed by whalers |
| Years active | 1810–38 |
| Known for | Attacking ships |
| Residence | off Mocha Island |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) in length |
| Appearance | albino, head covered with barnacles |
| Named after | Mocha Island |
Mocha Dick (/ˈmɒtʃə dɪk/; died 1838) was the nickname given to a rogue albino (or possibly leucistic) male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) that lived in the southeastern 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 an account of the whale in Mocha Dick, Or The White Whale of the Pacific: A Leaf from a Manuscript Journal, printed in The Knickerbocker in 1839. Mocha Dick was, apparently, part of the inspiration behind Herman Melville's novel, Moby-Dick (1851).[1]
- ^ Delbanco, Andrew. Melville, His World and Work. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005: 167–168. ISBN 0-375-40314-0