Chasing the light: the beginnings of sperm whale hunting in the (Western) South Atlantic

Abstract Valued mainly for their spermaceti oil, and the clean, bright light it produces, sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) populations have been globally reduced in number by three quarters since large-scale hunting began in the 1700s. Sperm whale oil and spermaceti have been used since ancient times for lighting and medicine, but, as we argue in this article, the invention of spermaceti candles was a detonator event both for humans and for sperm whales. Taking perspectives from environmental and energy history, this paper analyses sperm whale hunting in the North and South Atlantic and the concomitant transformation of animal body parts into material commodities and, ultimately, light. Our discussion revolves around a specific whaling operation in colonial Brazil, in the second half of the 1700s, as a case study for understanding how knowledge and technological transfer were fostered by empirical expertise and technical innovation. We show how Portuguese interest in spermaceti had been growing since the mid-eighteenth century and describe the endeavours undertaken to discover, exploit and commercialize this source of illumination. Fundamentally, we are interested in how the pursuit of light impacted an ecologically vulnerable non-human species but also stimulated technological innovation and the production of new forms of knowledge.