The first species to be depleted was the right whale, so named because they were the “right” whale to be killed since they floated after being killed. Whaling nations even developed factory ships to process whole carcasses. Blue whales were particularly sought after because there was so much oil, about 9,000 gallons, in an average whale. As the blue and right whale populations began to dwindle, whalers moved to the fin whale and then the smaller sei whale