Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

The Nautilus continues south, and Professor Aronnax wonders if they are heading to the pole. Ned has become almost silent with rage, his prolonged imprisonment clearly weighing on him. He hasn’t studied as Professor Aronnax has and doesn’t appreciate the sea. Professor Aronnax realizes the monotony must be “intolerable” (180) to Ned. But on that day, an event occurs that further agitates Ned. Sitting out on the platform, Ned spots a whale. He has never hunted whales in these seas, so Professor Aronnax suggests he ask Captain Nemo to chase them.

Captain Nemo does not support killing whales for sport. Captain Nemo then points to the cachalots, or sperm whales, eight miles away, calling them “terrible animals” (182). Ned asks to hunt them instead, but Captain Nemo decides to just use the Nautilus to disperse them using a steel spur. They watch as the cachalots head toward the whales, preparing to attack. Captain Nemo steers the ship, which acts as an enormous harpoon, tearing the cachalots apart “with its terrible spur” (184). The massacre continues for an hour until the remaining cachalots depart.

Once the Nautilus goes back to the surface, there are bodies floating all around the ship.