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 Antarctic
whaling ceased in 1963 and with it went a way of life for many
Shetlanders. Jobs at the whaling were many and varied depending on whether
you were on the Island of South Georgia itself or a floating factory ship
or a whalecatcher perhaps in sight of the coast of Antarctica at times. It
was a long way to go for work but, for many, it was whaling or emigration
and in that respect it was very important to the economy of Shetland. Some
men overwintered on South Georgia and made as much money as they could in
order to set up a business or perhaps buy a fishing boat or some other
project. There were dangers in all aspects of the job and sadly some men
never returned but, for most of those who did, whaling holds a special
place in their memories.
 When
Salvesen pulled out of the whaling it was the end of an era for the men
whose living it had been. They scattered far and wide and now some 40
years later they are becoming a rare breed. At a Whaler's Reunion in the
Shetland village of Brae one night Gibbie Fraser realised just quite how
rare and resolved to record some of the memories of these tough and resilient
men. The result was a book called "Shetland's Whalers
Remember.." and this website gives a small taste of the varied and
entertaining contents of this work. The book is a collection of anecdotes
from some of the men who were whalers, some of them from before World War
II and gives the reader a unique insight into what it was like to be a
whaler in that far Southern Ocean amid icebergs, gales and fog all those
years ago.
 The
stories range from everyday work to the sadness of burial at sea, things
going wrong and breakdowns to relaxation and friendships made that have
stood the test of time. If you should happen to meet an old whaler, shake
his hand, buy him a drink and let him tell you about his experiences
in the South Ice. You might even get to hear some of the stories that
could never be printed!!
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