| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Owner | Gideon Gardner (reputedly), Nantucket, Massachusetts |
| Builder | Haverhill, Massachusetts |
| Launched | 1809 |
| Homeport | Nantucket, Massachusetts |
| Fate | Condemned 1858 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | |
Ganges, was a whaleship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, launched in 1809 in Massachusetts, that operated in the Pacific Ocean from 1815 to 1853. It was probably the vessel reported to have found Gardner Island in the Phoenix group. Although Barzillai Folger, the master of the ship during its voyage of 1835–39, is sometimes credited with being the first to discover the right whales of the Northwest coast, the Frenchman Narcisse Chaudiere, in Gange, preceded Folger. Chaudiere cruised on this ground during the summer of 1835, while Folger didn't leave port until October 26 of the same year.[2]