Michael Pitts / Interior of shipwreck of Japanese Whaling Ship sunk in WWII, 1943, Borneo

Alex Hyde / Grytviken was the largest whaling station on South Georgia. It was made made famous by Shackleton's reunion with civilization on South Georgia after losing his ship, the Endurance, to Antarctic pa...

Alex Hyde / Grytviken was the largest whaling station on South Georgia. It was made made famous by Shackleton's reunion with civilization on South Georgia after losing his ship, the Endurance, to Antarctic pa...

Alex Hyde / Grytviken was the largest whaling station on South Georgia. It was made made famous by Shackleton's reunion with civilization on South Georgia after losing his ship, the Endurance, to Antarctic pa...

Alex Hyde / Grytviken was the largest whaling station on South Georgia. It was made made famous by Shackleton's reunion with civilization on South Georgia after losing his ship, the Endurance, to Antarctic pa...

Ashley Cooper / Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) in Grytviken South Georgia, Antarctica, with an old whaling ship behind. February 2014

Ashley Cooper / Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) with an old whaling ship behind. Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica, February.

Ashley Cooper / King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) and Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), by the old whaling station at Grytviken on South Georgia. In its 58 years of operation, it handled 53,761 slaught...

Ashley Cooper / The old whaling station at Grytviken on South Georgia. In its 58 years of operation, it handled 53,761 slaughtered whales, producing 455,000 tons of whale oil and 192,000 tons of whale meat. February...

Ashley Cooper / Old whaling station at Grytviken, South Georgia. In its 58 years of operation, it handled 53,761 slaughtered whales, producing 455,000 tons of whale oil and 192,000 tons of whale meat. February 2014

Rick Price / Quark Expeditions Sea Adventurer, Stromness Whaling Station, South Georgia. January 2015.

Theo Webb / Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) lying near an old whaling vessel, near Grytviken, South Georgia

Tom Gilks / Whale tooth scrimshaw etched with whaling ship hunting and inscribed with 'The Ship Starbuck' (probably a replica).

Rick Tomlinson / An old whaling ship at Grytviken, South Georgia, February 2007

Mike Potts / The Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' leaving Freemantle Harbour, Perth, Western Australia, on a voyage to the Antarctic to intercept Japanese whaling ships. December 2009

Mike Potts / The Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' in Freemantle Harbour, Perth, Western Australia, preparing for a voyage to the Antarctic to intercept Japanese whaling ships. Helicopter landing pad, December 2009

Mike Potts / The Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' in Freemantle Harbour, Perth, Western Australia, preparing for a voyage to the Antarctic to intercept Japanese whaling ships. December 2009

Mike Potts / The Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' in Freemantle Harbour, Perth, Western Australia, preparing for a voyage to the Antarctic to intercept Japanese whaling ships. December 2009

Mike Potts / The Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' in Freemantle Harbour, Perth, Western Australia, preparing for a voyage to the Antarctic to intercept Japanese whaling ships. December 2009

David Tipling / Gentoo penguins beside Old Whaling Ship in heavy snow, old whaling station, Grytviken, South Georgia, November 2006

Flip Nicklin / Old whaling ships stranded in abandoned whaling station, Leith, South Georgia Island

Roy Mangersnes / Old British whaling ship "Petrel" with harpoon at Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica.

Roy Mangersnes / Old British whaling ship "Petrel" with harpoon at Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica.

Steven David Miller / An exhibit at Whale World - a whaling ship, complete with a harpoon on the bow, at an old whaling station, Albany, Western Australia

Paul Ensor / Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) group taken off Japanese whaling ship, Ross Sea, Antarctica

Paul Ensor / Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) group taken off Japanese whaling ship, Ross Sea, Antarctica

Chris Gomersall / Old British whaling ship "Petrel" at Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica. January 2007.

Mitsuaki Iwago / Dwarf Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) pair harvested by Russian whaling ship, Antarctica

Flip Nicklin / Dall's Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) being off-loaded from boat as part of harvest from Otsuchi harpoon fishery, Northern Honshu Island, Japan

Mitsuaki Iwago / Dwarf Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) harvested by Russian whaling ship, Antarctica

Flip Nicklin / Dwarf Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) meat, Norway

Andrew Peacock / Lenticular cloud formations over old rusty whaling ships, Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Paul D Stewart / Sailing ship off Galapagos (Daphne Major island in background) and Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra), photo composite. The Galapagos were visited by Charles Darwin in his Beagle voyages and also by a...

Onne van der Wal / Wreck of the old whaling ship "Petrel" at the abandoned whaling station at Grytviken, South Georgia.

Rick Tomlinson / Skip Novak's yacht "Pelagic" lies in the snow alongside the wreck of a Norwegian whaling ship, Enterprise Island, Antarctica.

Ingo Arndt / Abandoned whaling vessel at night, Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Flip Nicklin / Small whaling ship in fjord, Lofoten Island, Norway

Flip de Nooyer / Sailboat off abandoned whale station, Whaler's Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands

Flip de Nooyer / Sunken whaling ship at abandoned whale station, Grytviken, South Georgia

Flip de Nooyer / Abandoned whaling station, Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Flip Nicklin / Common Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)meat processing, Norway

Flip Nicklin / Norwegian whaling ship, Lofoten Island, Norway

Jeff Vanuga / Whaling harpoon tips lie next to the ship Petrel that was used for whale hunting in Antarctic waters. It now stands grounded at Grytviken, South Georgia Island, Antarctica.