A Nantucket Sleighride was a term used by whalers who had just harpooned a whale. The whale, realizing that it was harpooned, would try to flee and as a result, it would drag the whale boat with it. Due to the different sizes of whales, the bigger the whale, the faster the ride. The Sperm Whale was the whale that brought the most thrill, reaching speeds of 23 mph.[1] The resulting thrill ride for the sailors lasted as long as the whale could swim before tiring out. Once the whale tired out, the sailors would kill it and harvest the oil.
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