Last American Whaler

Once there were as many as 750 American whaling ships plying the oceans searching for their mighty prey. In those days whaling was a substantial part of the economies of such New England communities as Nantucket and provided the base for some of the great American stories of adventure on the high seas. By the middle of the twentieth century, the whaling industry dwindled down to a precious few whaling adventurers along the northwest coast of California. This is a story of one of those adventurers, Captain Gib Hunter, a true American whaling and fisheries pioneer of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of his oldest son. The book contains vivid descriptions of whaling which by today's standards might seem barbaric, but please remember that whaling was indeed an important part of our history. In 1971, the United States government called for an end to American whaling. Therefore, on December 1971, when Gib Hunter stepped off the deck of the whaler 'Dennis Gayle,' he became known as the Last American Whaler. The idea for this book actually came to me in the winter of 2006 when my wife, Karen, gave me a video camera and suggested that I go over to my dad's house and interview him about the colorful life he was living. However, a few days later before I could follow through, my father passed away at the age of 88. Years later, after the strong urging of my family, I sat down to write this story with only fading memories, some imagination, editing help from my wife Karen and some research to guide me. Most of the book is based on actual events and experiences on the whaler 'Dennis Gayle'. Except for my younger brother, Bill, there is no one to say things didn't happen exactly as I described. I've changed the last names of some of the characters in the book to protect the privacy of their families.