End of Whaling Industry

Worth a read from BBC, "The disaster that helped end the US whaling industry". The Arctic expedition in 1871 August that ended in a disaster luckily sparing the lives of the crew was one of the turning points for the whaling industry. That major incident followed by some smaller ones that happened running after the walruses when the whales were almost eradicated, nailed the coffin for the industry. The whale oil was about to be replaced by the oil industry which were starting to accelerate at the end of the 19th century. The disaster of 1871 and the burgeoning oil industry saved the ARctic whales. As the ice caps are melting away the secrets of the disaster kept in ice are revealed nowadays, thanks to climate change.

Source:
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170224-the-disaster-that-helped-end-the-us-whaling-industry