Life at the Whaling

Life at the whaling was characterised by work. People were there to work hard and they took time to enjoy small breaks when the work allowed. Conditions whether on board ships or on shore were basic but comfortable enough to stay for a while! Workers were catered for by teams who worked in the mess (kitchens) and in the laundry.

In spare moments and down time the whalers had some good forms of entertainment. Read below about their sporting events, music nights, crafting activities and even their cinemas!

Although a dangerous industry, deaths and accidents were not so common. Workers were aware of how to stay safe and tried their best to maintain this given the conditions. Sadly, some accidents and deaths did occur and when they did, the effects were felt strongly by the community.

Workers living on a whaling station were quite separated from the managers and administrative staff. In Grytviken, the workers lived in accommodation at the back of the factory and towards the church. Managers and administrative staff lived closer to the food stores, bakery and coffee roastery, as well as the Slop Chest, the only place to spend your money.

A special villa was built for the senior members of the whaling station staff and visiting family members. The house was centrally heated, electric light was provided by the hydro-generator and there was a telephone connection to the factory. In 1911 it was extended and a note from a resident describes it having ‘luxuriant potted plants’, and of ‘eight course meals being served by a butler’. In 1914 the Villa burned down, to be replaced the following season by the current building which now houses the museum.

According to census records, there were never more than 12 women living on South Georgia at once. For those who were managers or who worked at King Edward Point, there was a chance to take your wife and family with you, and perhaps even a pet! Captain Carl Anton Larsen, founder of Grytviken, often had his family, and even a housekeeper staying with them, on South Georgia. In reality, most men who went to the whaling had to leave their family 8,000 miles away and it may be up to 18 months before they saw them again. 

Although it was a strange place for many women and children to get used to, life had to go on as normal. Children were homeschooled by their parents and helped to be cared for by other people from the whaling station. Unlike children growing up outside of South Georgia, children who grew up here had first hand experience of living near a whaling station. Learning about the wildlife around the area and learning to ski in the winter, it surely would have been a fascinating place to spend some formative years.

Accounts of women living on South Georgia, specifically at King Edward Point, were written about by Nan Brown (Antarctic Housewife) and Beverly McLeod (In the Shadow of Shackleton’s Cross). Nan Brown documented her life at King Edward Point in the mid-1950s, she came to South Georgia with her husband, George, a wireless operator. Her accounts are humorous and interesting, contrasting her attempts to be a “normal” housewife in South Georgia, with the incredible experience of living there. Her powerful writing highlights the highs and lows in trying to live a normal life in an irregular place. Colourfully bringing to life the characters who were living on South Georgia at the time.

The shore stations were industrial towns. Roughly 400 men lived and worked in Grytviken during the summer season, dropping down to 90 in the winter season. They all lived in close quarters in the barracks, with up to eight men in a bunk room. Working on a station for eight months or more, the men took the time to decorate their living quarters to make them as homely as possible.

At Leith Harbour, some of the jobs required that the workers live upstairs of the building they were working in, such as the hospital or laundry. It was vital that the men working in the factory had these services to care for them and to cater for them.

New accommodations were built when it was required to increase workforces. Certain accommodations also had better standards than others, with some newer or larger rooms being preferable. Unless you were high ranking, your room would have been shared with others. Subsequently, a whaler’s bunk, whether on a shore station, factory ship or whale catcher ship, was all the space he had to himself. In their bunkrooms they often had tables and chairs, a space to sit and socialise with bunkmates. Radios were also bought and could be tuned into BBC Overseas and other long distance radio stations.

The majority of food on the island and on the ships was imported. It was mostly delivered tinned or dried and it was up to those in the galley (kitchen) to create something nutritious for the whalers. Restocks happened fairly often, when ships were coming down, they would take extra supplies with them.

Some things, like potatoes, would run out but with bakers there it meant there was always plenty of bread. Fresh ‘fancies’ – cakes and such – were remembered fondly and would have been Danish pastries, cakes and doughnuts. These stocks were also supplemented with locally caught fish, penguin and albatross eggs and once an early whaler even convinced some others to eat tussock grass roots and leaves!

Pasturing of animals was attempted, such as sheep, goats and cattle. In Stromness Bay a small island there was known as mutton island because of the sheep put to pasture there. These animals could not survive the long, snowy winters and new animals would have to be brought down every year.

Pigs were very important, and one of the streets leading to their stye was named ‘Pig Street’ in Leith Harbour. The pigs were butchered regularly and provided fresh stocks of pork for those living on the whaling stations.

Reindeer managed to survive better – but were bred to be considerably smaller than their parent stocks. Whalers had to be given permission from the Falkland Islands Government to shoot these – but licences were often granted. The Reindeers survived in South Georgia until well after the whaling had come to a close. In the mid-2010s they were culled during a project by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in order to eradicate non-native species. The reindeer were trampling native grasses and ground nesting birds’ eggs.

Whale meat was eaten regularly by the whalers. When cured properly and hung out for the correct amount of time, it made a nice steak. Most of the whalers had no problem eating it, finding it not to have too strong a taste.

While living on station, the main objective was to work as hard as possible. More overtime meant more wages to take home at the end of the season. Relaxation and entertainment while at South Georgia came in many forms, just as people had hobbies and interests at home – they took them to South Georgia.

Libraries were available at the Shore Stations and on board the factory ships. There were also some books aboard the whale catchers. In Grytviken the library was located in a small room at the back of the Church. Cataloguing research has been done by Bodil Malmose about the Whalers’ library. It was discovered that the whalers used objects they were using daily to hold their pages, such as matches or clippings from magazines. There was also a genre that seemed to be preferred – crime and thrillers. Although many of the available books also recounted maritime themes. Books were also used to make notes and as a place for doodles or sketches by the whalers. There have even been a lot of mathematic problems solved in the library books!

For those who enjoyed music, there were chances to play instruments with others. Musical sessions would happen, and tunes were shared between Scots and Norwegians. With each country returning to their homeland with music from the other side of the North Sea.

Not only did sessions occur, but music was also shared from records. Often people would take tape recorders with them to listen to new music. New music was also written, both songs and tunes to remember life at the whaling. Some were humorous in nature and others remembered the beauty of the island. Some music was also written about specific events, such as Da Lang Haul by David Clark. This was written in 2012 to reflect on the long tow that occurred between South Georgia and Cape Town by the Southern Main of the Southern Broom.

The whalers would make various crafts in their downtime. Ever resourceful, it was always made from scraps around station. Utilising scrap metal, nylon rope, spare timber and even making creations from Sperm Whale teeth. The teeth were available for the whalers to take as souvenirs and to be turned into intricate scrimshaw.

In the South Georgia Museum collection there are beautiful examples of the ingenuity of the men who were working here. Shown in these objects…

Card games such as cribbage and 500 were very popular amongst the whalers, whether on shore or at sea. These games were played across languages and many Scottish people learned to play in Norwegian, to Norwegian rules. If it was being played on a whaling catcher, then it was common for one man coming off watch to pick up the hand of the man going on to his watch. Tournaments would be played where each man would enter a specific amount of cigarettes to be played for and the competition was fierce!

Accidents and deaths while at the whaling were uncommon. When they did happen it touched the whole community.

The cemeteries on South Georgia gives us an interesting insight into life at the shore stations. Many of the gravesites are from epidemics which hit South Georgia particularly hard in the 1910s. All together 247 deaths were registered in South Georgia between 1904-1962. The majority of these deaths occurred within the first 30 years of the whaling industry, and many would have been prevented with modern medical intervention. With many funerals being conducted in the only church on the island in Grytviken. The pastor from Grytviken would also attend other whaling stations to provide spiritual support in periods of grief.

After the Second World War there were some accidents and deaths which had an effect on the members of the community of Christian Salvesen workers. They are remembered as sad events to this day, by the whalers who knew those involved or witnessed it for themselves.

On 11^th January 1947 the Simbra was lost south of South Georgia. The only person who survived was John Leask from Shetland who recounted his memories in ‘Shetland’s Whalers Remember…’ compiled by Gibbie Fraser.

Leask recounted that he had been on watch in the crow’s nest and noticed that the ship was keeling too far over, with fewer ‘bunkers’ aboard than usual he suggested that it was possible that the stability was reduced. ‘Simbra’ kept keeling and began to capsize, with huge amounts of water being taken aboard. Leask had to make an escape from the crow’s nest on hands and knees towards the lifeboat.

Although they made a good effort to launch the lifeboat and get it turned the right way round, none of the rest of the crew who had made it to the lifeboat lasted the night with Leask. He was picked up the following morning after attracting the attention of a nearby whale catcher and spent some time recovering in the hospital aboard the Southern Harvester.

Many skilled people were employed at the whaling, some who could fix something which seemed beyond repair or create something new with few materials. One incredible feat was attempted on Southern Venturer, when a young man on board became increasingly unwell. He was suffering from paralysis, which unfortunately was fatal at that time. A decision was made to keep him comfortable on board.

The doctor on board Southern Venturer would normally have used an iron lung in that situation. And with limited information which was transferred to the ship via cable, chief engineer Jim Still and his team of British and Norwegian crew managed to build one which worked. This incredible feat was completed but within a few days the boy died. It highlights the ingenuity and skill the men who were working at the whaling had and highlights how far they would go to help those who needed it most.