A whale harvest for the Eskimos

It takes teamwork to haul in 50 tons of bowhead whale. 150 Eskimos head out of Barrow, Alaska, on showmobiles towing sleds and boats. Arriving in the evening, they find a whale marked with two buoys, floating just below the surface. A polypropylene line attached to a cargo strap brings the tail up first.


The group raises the whale far enough to attach a block and tackle. Men kneel on the lines to prevent the whale from sliding backwards.
A section of muktuk, the black skin lined with blubber, already has been cut away and boiled to make an oily snack.
Butchering begins immediately. Insulated by thick blubber, the warm meat will soon spoil, even though the outside temperature is well below freezing.

The female bowhead had been carrying an unborn calf, now cut free and left on the ice. It is a sad disaster but the calf would not have survived without it's mother.

Nearly 10 hours later, the whale carcass has been stripped and left for the polar bears. As tired family members load up their share of the meat and muktuk.