38 Maui Ocean Adventures & Whale Watch Magazine
and Christian missionaries had to establish laws regulating drinking,
gambling, and prostitution. These laws weren't always followed. In
fact, in 1851, the Hale Paahao Prison was constructed out of coral-
block stones from the old fort on Lahaina's waterfront. Missionary
and whaler clashes were common, and the prison served the purpose
of trying to keep the peace between everyone on Maui.
Because the life of a sailor was arduous, and the journey could last
up to five years, thousands "jumped ship" each year in
Hawaii, which left whaling ships short of
men. Since Hawaiians were natural
watermen, they were popular
replacements and these
Hawaiian sailors, called
"sailamokus," traveled
around the world.
(continued on page 40)
their bounty of oil and whale bone back to mainland America,
and to allow crew members time to rest and relax. More than
100 ships stopped in Hawaii in 1824, and over the next two
decades the industry flourished so much that by 1846 an
astounding 736 ships arrived in the Islands that year.
But it wasn't all good times for the people of Hawaii, or
for the sailors coming off the whaling ships. Hawaiian chiefs
Whaling Port of Lahaina
By Ryane Acalin
THE
NORTH
ATLANTIC
RIGHT
WHALE IS
THE MOST
ENDANGERED
WHALE IN
THE WORLD.
After being hunted almost
to extinction, there are fewer than
450 remaining on the entire planet.
HISTORY OF WHALING
Maui Discovered, Map of Maui
By Dave Stevenson
