On July 19th, 1917, the steam whaling vessel Tanginak abruptly turned about and headed out of the Bering Sea after the vessel was attacked by a whale.

The attack on the Tanginak took place as it was heading north from Akutan on a whaling trip. The whale damaged the steering system when it collided with the stern of the ship.

Whalers climbed into their boats and launched in an attempt to kill the whale but were ultimately unsuccessful.