Mournful, Contemplative, Macabre

The chapter describes the aftermath of a whale's death, focusing on the creature's body being set adrift and becoming a spectacle for sharks and birds.

After the whale's processing, its massive, lifeless body is released into the sea, attracting a frenzied congregation of sharks and birds that viciously attack the carcass. The scene is depicted as a grim parody of a funeral, with the marine creatures desecrating what remains of the whale. This event serves not only as an eerie spectacle but also as a haunting omen for sailors who might later pass this way, mistaking the floating mass for treacherous shoals. The narrator philosophizes about the whale's body in death becoming a thing of superstition and fear, commenting on the persistence of orthodox beliefs and the human preoccupation with ghosts and the afterlife.