Gemina Garland-Lewis: Azorean Whaleboats

Gemina Garland-Lewis: Azorean Whaleboats

Photograph by Gemina Garland-Lewis

In the summer of 2012, National Geographic Grantee Gemina Garland-Lewis documented how whalers in the Azore Islands used 18th-century techniques to hunt sperm whales well into the 20th century.

“I’d been out in Azorean whaleboats before, though mostly for sailing. Today was rowing, a whole new beast. A couple of hours before sunset, I met the women’s rowing team in the Horta marina and smiled as they started to prepare the boat Senhora da Guia, which was my favorite. The boat’s namesake is the patron saint of whalers on the island of Faial, and to this day they honor her during an annual mass and procession for the blessing of the whaleboats.

"I took a seat (as out of the way as I could be in a canoe built for seven) to watch and photograph the incredible synchrony and hard work of these women as they rowed. Their official, Ana, shouted out “Força! Força! Força!” which means strength, force, power. After the practice had finished the women offered me a chance to row. Each oar is about ten feet long and made of solid, dense wood. I was warned that if I couldn’t lift it right and it hit the water too soon, the oar would smash into my chest and knock me over backward into the boat—and sure enough, it did. Four times. Every so often I’d get into the rhythm of it but then inevitably I’d falter. The oar hit with a slow force of something that simply couldn’t be stopped with human strength. It was nothing personal, just physics. There was nothing to do but fall back with as much grace as possible and get back up again … and again, and again.

"Until this moment, I hadn’t fully appreciated how much rowing a whaleboat was about finesse as well as strength. I thought about all the men I had been interviewing, ex-whalers who actually had to do this day in and day out. They had to be good enough at it to pursue and capture a sperm whale. I thought about their tales of bleeding hands from grabbing the oars and bleeding legs from rubbing against the boat. I understood those stories better now since I’d tried my hand at rowing. I was thankful for the experience but grateful that I didn’t have to make my living at it!"

—Gemina Garland-Lewis, Young Explorers grantee