Whaling The whaling industry in Hawaii was very popular among whale hunters. The first whale was hunted and harpooned in Kealakekua Bay in 1819 and this popularized Hawaii on the map for whalers. “Pacific whaling grounds became dominated by American vessels in the mid 19th-century, as whale oil became a major economic component of economic expansion in both New England and the Hawaiian Islands.” (Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary). This quote from Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary explains how whaling got popularized and many American ships voyaged to the islands because they were rich in whales and they had used the whales for oil. Hawaiians were not accustomed to open-ocean whaling because they would only use whales for anything when they washed up on shore from a natural cause of death. Not only did whaling have a devastating effect on society, but also “the redistribution and consequent privatization of land enacted in 1848 (known as the great Mahele)” (Tilburg). So whaling and the great Mahele had a great effect on Hawaiian society. As well, early western whalers brought along many diseases, just like Captain Cook