84. Which white whale ate Captain Ahab’s leg? Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick, tell the story of Captain Ahab and his hunt for the great white sperm whale that tore off his leg. In his ship, the Pequod, Ahab and his sailors sail all around the world in search of the whale. When they finally catch up with Moby Dick, they struggle for three days to catch him. Ahab finally harpoons the great monster just as the whale sinks the ship, the unfortunate captain is dragged down to a watery grave.