What is Harpoon?
[[File:Harpons de Fontalés MHNT.PRE.2011.0.654.jpg|thumb|230px|Harpoon heads from between 15000 and 12000 BP]] [[File:Inuit hunter with harpoon.jpg|thumb|230px|Inuit hunter with harpoon in kayak, Hudson Bay, circa 1908-1914]] A '''harpoon''' is a long [[spear]]-like instrument used in [[fishing]] to catch [[fish]] or large [[Marine biology|marine]] [[mammals]] such as [[whale]]s. It does this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the [[projectile]] to catch the animal. A harpoon can also be used as a [[weapon]]. Typically, a harpoon for fishing has backwards-pointing [[barb]]s which stop the fish getting free. {{stub}} [[Category:Weapons]] [[Category:Fishing]]