Connecticut, one of the original 13 colonies of the United States was founded by Thomas Hooker and it attained statehood on January 8, 1788. In the 19th century, whaling industry played a significant role in shaping the state economy. The Sperm Whale, the species that was immortalised in the Herman Melville’s book ‘Moby Dick’ was chosen as the state animal of Connecticut in the year 1975. The sperm whale is now on the federal endangered species list.
