San Simeon in San Luis Obispo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Turning Whale Blubber Into Valuable Oil

Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 25, 2026

1. Turning Whale Blubber Into Valuable Oil Marker

Inscription.
This 200-gallon iron vat or try pot was found here on San Simeon beach. Captain Clark and his crew melted slabs of blubber from the whales hunted offshore. Imagine the stench and black smoke filling this cove as the blubber was rendered into oil.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Animals.

Location. 35° 38.634′ N, 121° 11.256′ W. Marker is in San Simeon, California, in San Luis Obispo County. It can be reached from Slo San Simeon Road. Marker is located at William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach, next to the restrooms. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon CA 93452, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Central Coast

and specifically on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At

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least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Catching a Whale (here, next to this marker); From Whaling to Whale Watching (here, next to this marker); Shore Whaling in San Simeon (here, next to this marker); History of San Simeon Bay (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); San Simeon Bay is a Special Place (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hearst Ranch (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sebastian Store (approx. ¼ mile away); Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Simeon.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 25, 2026

2. Turning Whale Blubber Into Valuable Oil Marker

Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 25, 2026

3. Turning Whale Blubber Into Valuable Oil Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 19, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.