The Historic Old Whaling Station in Monterey

Monterey has a very colorful history.  Part of that history includes the whaling industry.  Just footsteps from Fisherman’s Wharf, you can view the remnants of that long ago era at the Old Whaling Station.

The Old Whaling Station’s history begins with David Wight.  Mr. Wight built an adobe home for his family here in 1847 based on his ancestral home in Scotland.  The Wights lived here for only a few years before joining the gold rush in 1850.

After Mr. Wight’s departure, Portuguese whalers employed by the Old Monterey Company began working at the site in 1855.  Second floor windows of the home were used to spot whales.  After the whales were killed, their blubber was cut into pieces and rendered in huge iron “try-pots” on the beach in front of the Old Whaling Station.  Whenever I hear “try-pots”, I think of the famous novel by Herman Melville, Moby Dick,  and the “fishiest of all fishy places”, the “Try Pots”, where “pots were always boiling chowders.  Chowder for breakfast, and chowder for dinner, and chowder for supper, till you begin to look for fishbones going through your clothes.”

The Whaling Station was in operation here for approximately 30 years.  The whaling industry was spurred by an increased demand for a variety of products during the 19th century.  Whale oil was used for lamps, soap, perfume and cosmetics.  Whale bone was used for corsets, sizing poles, hoops for women’s skirts, and umbrellas, and blubber was used for cooking and machine oil and margarine.

By the 1930s, many whale populations became endangered due to massive hunting.  Thankfully, whale hunting is outlawed in most countries today.  Whales are staunchly protected in the Monterey area, and a plethora of whale-watching cruises are available year round (pre-pandemic),  departing from Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey and further north in Moss Landing.

While you are here, check out the walkway in front of the building.  Whalebones, which were found plentifully on the beach here during the whaling heyday, were cut and trimmed as paving blocks for a sidewalk. The whalebone sidewalk here is one the last of its kind remaining in the United States.

The Junior League of Monterey currently leases the Old Whaling Station from California State Parks and allows the adobe and gardens to be used for weddings and other events.  For more information, see Old Whaling Station  or contact the Junior League of Monterey at 831-375-5356.  The historical building hours prior to the pandemic were Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 2 pm.  Although the building is now closed, the garden remains open.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you are able to visit Monterey and see the Old Whaling Station.  To learn more about Monterey, you may enjoy my other posts including Adventures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Whale Watching & More at Fisherman’s Wharf, The Secret Gardens of Historic Monterey, Cannery Row: What to See & Do!, and Delicious Places to Eat in Monterey on a Budget.  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas!