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Harpoon facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Harpons de Fontalés MHNT.PRE.2011.0.654
Harpoon heads from between 15000 and 12000 BP
Inuit hunter with harpoon
Inuit hunter with harpoon in kayak, Hudson Bay, circa 1908-1914

A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It does this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal. A harpoon can also be used as a weapon.

Typically, a harpoon for fishing has backwards-pointing barbs which stop the fish getting free.

Images for kids

  • Harpon Unaaq MHNT ETH AC 198

    Unaaq ᐅᓈᖅ, a harpoon used by Inuit, 172 cm (5.6 feet) long, MHNT

  • Harpon 2010.0.3.5. Global

    Epipaleolithic [[Azilian

  • Manner in which the natives of the East Coast Stirke Turtle

    "Manner in which Natives of the East Coast strike turtle." Near Cooktown, Australia. From Phillip Parker King's Survey. 1818.

  • Whaling Harpoons 1887

    Harpoons used in the whale fishery, 1887, including new design from Provincetown whalemen

  • Bomb Lance Harpoon for whales

    Bomb lance whaling harpoon, pictured in 1878, prominent in the famous whaling legal case, Ghen v. Rich

  • Harpoon mounted on a whaling boat, Alaska, ca 1915 (COBB 76)

    Harpoon mounted on a whaling boat in Alaska, ca. 1915

  • Whaling harpoon

    Modern whaling harpoon

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Arpón para niños

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