From which Massachusetts island does the Pequod sail in "Moby-Dick"?

The Pequod sails from Nantucket, the Massachusetts island that was one of the great centers of nineteenth-century American whaling. Ishmael reaches Nantucket after traveling to New Bedford and, with Queequeg, chooses the Pequod for their voyage.

In the novel, Nantucket is more than a departure point: it represents the specialized maritime world that supports the whaling industry. The island’s ships, merchants, sailors, and port facilities made it internationally famous before petroleum and changing markets brought the industry’s dominance to an end.

The nearby locations in the answer choices are easy to confuse with Nantucket. Cape Cod is a peninsula, while Martha’s Vineyard is another Massachusetts island; Block Island lies off Rhode Island. The Pequod itself is described as a Nantucket whaling ship, and its name refers to the Pequot people of New England.