Eli5: how can a harpoon, like the one they used in Moby Dick, kill a huge animal like a whale?

Question

Wouldn’t that be just like a pin prick to a whale?

In: 2

Answer 1

The harpoon doesn’t directly kill the whale (normally) it is used to attach the boat to the whale, you have a rope tied to the harpoon. The boat is then “anchored” to the whale when it moves.