▁novel . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁A hab ▁( John ▁Barry more ) ▁and ▁his ▁half ▁brother ▁D erek ▁( Ge orge ▁O ' H ara ) ▁comp ete ▁for ▁the ▁aff e ctions ▁of ▁a ▁wins ome ▁minister ' s ▁daughter , ▁Est her ▁W isc asset ▁( D ol ores ▁Cost ello ). ▁Meanwhile , ▁an ▁alb ino ▁wh ale ▁has ▁been ▁el ud ing ▁har po on ers , ▁and ▁be ars ▁the ▁sc ars ▁of ▁many ▁failed ▁attacks ▁against ▁him . ▁The ▁animal ' s ▁fame ▁has ▁reached ▁ep ic ▁proport ions . ▁One ▁day , ▁A hab ▁and ▁D erek ▁are ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁wh aler ▁as ▁the ▁wh ale ▁he aves ▁into ▁view . ▁A hab ▁ra ises ▁his ▁har po on ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁be ast , ▁but ▁at ▁that ▁moment , ▁D erek ▁push es ▁him ▁over board ▁and ▁A hab ▁los es ▁his ▁right ▁leg ▁to ▁the ▁wh ale . ▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁this ▁incident , ▁the ▁shall ow ▁Est her ▁re buff s ▁A hab ▁as ▁her ▁su itor ▁once ▁she ▁catch es ▁sight ▁of ▁his ▁p eg ▁leg . ▁Heart bro ken ▁at ▁this ▁turn ▁of ▁events , ▁A hab ▁bl ames ▁neither ▁Est her ▁nor ▁his ▁brother ; ▁instead ▁he ▁trans fers ▁bl ame ▁and ▁an ▁und ying ▁hat red ▁onto ▁the ▁wh ale . ▁The ▁following ▁s aga ▁of ▁A hab ' s ▁purs uit ▁of ▁the ▁wh ale ▁takes ▁on ▁the ▁a ura