Not only was Moby Dick inspired by an actual giant white sperm whale, but the real one was infinitely more badass. He was named Mocha Dick, perhaps because he lived near the island of Mocha. He came off victorious against a hundred whaling ships, sending some in splinters to the bottom of the sea. He also took on three whaling ships at once and won.

Captain Ahab was also inspired by a man living around the same time as Mocha Dick. Captain Pollard didn’t seek revenge after his ship was wrecked by a whale, forcing him and his crew to resort to cannibalism to survive, but he did go back out to sea as the captain of a new ship . . . that also was sunk—this time by a storm. He spent his remaining years as a night watchman.