Ned Land is the first person who spots the monster. He is an unusual character, and the person who enjoys the voyage aboard the <em>Nautilus</em> the least. Even though he is a harpooner, and a man who spends most of his time in the ocean, he is desperate to get back to land. He takes very little pleasure in studying or exploration and is instead desperate to have a comfortable and safe life. He has very basic needs and pleasures, and these are not satisfied in the submarine.
