I tried to read this book when I was in high school and failed. I also remember thinking "this is boring, maybe it'll pick up when they get to sea" but I was very unprepared for it to become the Book of Whales and Whaling Facts. Again I thought "he can't go on about this forever, I'll skim ahead" and that did not work. Later I heard others conclude the same thing as you, that the Whale Facts are inherent to the book and if you don't find a way to appreciate them you won't get far.