Dating from the 1920s, this historic silent film shows a Norwegian whaling vessel operating off the coast of Mexico. The ship in question is likely the SS Port Saunders, operated by the Mexico Whaling Corporation of Norway. It netted 390 whales and 12,000 barrels of oil in 1928 alone.

Whale hunting has been a part of Norwegian coastal culture for centuries, and commercial operations targeting the Minke whale have occurred since the early 20th century, and some still continue the practice in the modern day New techniques and technologies, developed in the mid 19th century, revolutionized the whaling industry and Norway’s prominence as a whaling nation. Norwegian and Scottish investors established the United States Whaling Co. in Sandefjord in 1910 with Peder Bogen as its managing director. The company built three whaling ships in Seattle (to avoid delays in production) and leased a steamer to use as a floating factory. Baranof Island was the site of its shore station. The factory ship was condemned by locals who claimed foreigners would destroy whale stocks with cheap Norwegian labor. Catches produced only a small fraction of the expected oil revenue in its first year.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com