Chapters 134-135 Summary

The crew first sights Moby Dick and boats are lowered to chase him. The whale sounds and then disappears under the sea. Ahab waits patiently for the whale to resurface, only to see the whale's open mouth coming up at him from the bottom of the sea. Moby Dick grabs the boat in his mouth, Ahab tries to push Moby Dick's jaws away with his hands, but the whale breaks the boat in half and throws Ahab into the sea. Moby Dick then swims around and around Ahab and the broken boat creating a sort of whirlpool. Ahab commands the Pequod be sailed forward to drive the whale away from him. No men are lost in this first encounter, and the crew continues to chase the whale.

Again, Moby Dick is sighted and three boats are lowered to go after him...