Old Monterey Whaling Company ran a ‘shore whaling’ operation, one of many in Monterey. Whales were killed at sea and towed to shore for processing. The fat or blubber was rendered by heating in large pots to extract natural oil that could be used for machinery and in lamps. Baleen (the large bony filters found in the mouths of filter-feeding whales such as grays and humpbacks) was harvested for corsets and umbrella stays; the bones were ground up for fertilizer or building foundations. Robert Lewis Stevenson, the Scots author, mentioned seeing the bleached bones of whales on the beaches of Monterey.

        
The Old Whaling Station’s front walkway is made entirely of whale vertebrae. The bone was cut into diamond patterns, making this sidewalk virtually unique. It cannot be replaced, so please be careful where you walk!