Great Salt Lake whale hoax
The Great Salt Lake whale hoax is a 19th-century Utah hoax and urban legend, which has appeared in various accounts over time.
Background and origin
editThe story was first reported in 1888 when the Salt Lake Herald-Republican reprinted an article originally published in a Canadian newspaper. The article claimed that a British scientist and entrepreneur, James Wickham, had introduced two whales into the Great Salt Lake in 1875 with the goal of establishing a whale oil industry in Utah.[1]
According to the article, Wickham captured the whales near Australia and transported them from San Francisco to Utah by train in specially designed tanks filled with seawater. Upon their release into the lake, the whales reportedly broke free from a fenced enclosure and disappeared into deeper waters. The story also claimed that years later, an agent in contact with Wickham reported seeing the whales and their offspring "spouting and playing" in the lake.[1]
In 1890, the Utah Daily Enquirer, a now-defunct newspaper from Provo, published an account marking the 15th anniversary of the alleged introduction of the whales. The report included additional claims about Wickham's efforts, stating that the whales had grown to sixty feet in length and had produced offspring.[2] The Enquirer portrayed Wickham's experiment as effective, despite the implausibility of the claims.[3]
Public response and debunking
editThe claims in the story were met with skepticism, particularly due to the Great Salt Lake's extreme salinity and shallow depth, which are inhospitable to marine mammals.[1] The story was later recognized as a hoax, likely intended as humorous sensationalism rather than serious reporting.[2] The Deseret News and other sources have debunked the story, pointing out inaccuracies, such as the false claim that whales lay eggs.[4]
Legacy and modern retellings
editIn 2019, artists Christine Baczek and David Hyams featured the story in their exhibit "Whale of a Tale" at the Rio Gallery in Salt Lake City. The exhibit included historical-style photographs (tintypes) depicting fictional scenes of the whales being transported to the Great Salt Lake.[5]
In 2021, printmaking professor Justin Diggle created a piece titled A Whale from the Great Salt Lake, Utah for the imPRESSions Open Printmaking Biennial. Inspired by the legend of James Wickham introducing whales to the lake, the print, a collage of photographs taken around Antelope Island, depicts the whale myth.[6]
In 2023, the independent short film Whales of the High Desert, directed by Joseph LeBaron, was released. The film focuses on the origins and continuation of the whale legend, based on an interview with Dr. Lynne McNeill, a folklore specialist at Utah State University. The film also addresses environmental concerns related to the Great Salt Lake. Produced in collaboration with FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, the film was an Official Selection of the Utah International Film Festival, with plans for distribution on PBS in the fall of 2024.[7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Weiss, Megan. "The Beehive Archive: A Whale of a Tale from Early SLC Newspapers." Herald Journal, January 31, 2022. [Link to source](https://www.hjnews.com/news/local/the-beehive-archive-a-whale-of-a-tale-from-early-slc-newspapers/article_6c92436d-050b-5fd7-a2e5-57966dd2e7cd.html). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Van Leer, Twila. "Whale of a Salty Tale Swims Through Pages of Old Paper." Deseret News, October 3, 1995. [Link to source](https://www.deseret.com/1995/10/3/19196613/whale-of-a-salty-tale-swims-through-pages-of-old-paper/). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ Miller, David E. "The Great Salt Lake." Utah Historical Quarterly, Volume 27, Number 3, 1959. [Link to source](https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume27_1959_number3/s/97296). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ Neuharth, Spencer. "Fact Checker: Were Whales Released in the Great Salt Lake?" MeatEater, August 12, 2019. [Link to source](https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/natural-history/fact-checker-were-whales-released-in-the-great-salt-lake). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ Hoelzer, Kaitlin. "Whales in the Great Salt Lake or more fake news? Photos in the Rio Gallery will leave you wondering." Deseret News, May 15, 2019. [Link to source](https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/15/20673432/whales-in-the-great-salt-lake-or-more-fake-news-photos-in-the-rio-gallery-will-leave-you-wondering/). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ "Professor Justin Diggle in imPRESSions Open Printmaking Biennial '21." University of Utah Department of Art & Art History, September 13, 2021. [Link to source](https://www.art.utah.edu/justin-diggle-impressions21/). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ Olsen, Grant. "Did whales really live in the Great Salt Lake? New film explores the infamous legend." KSL.com. August 21, 2023. [Link to source](https://www.ksl.com/article/50710089/did-whales-really-live-in-the-great-salt-lake-new-film-explores-the-infamous-legend). Accessed August 29, 2024.
- ^ "A Whale of a Tale in the Great Salt Lake." The Utah Film Festival, January 30, 2024. [Link to source](https://theutahfilmfestival.com/a-whale-of-a-tale-in-the-great-salt-lake/). Accessed August 29, 2024.