HUGE WHALES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1927, Page 1

HUGE WHALES

('HASH PLICA SUB E CRAFT. SYDNEY) Oct. 26. Last summer a female wdiale cruised lor weeks off the coast near Sydney after its calf had been stranded on one of our beaches, and scared se\eral fishing parties in boats a couple of miles out at sen. On two occasions the groat mammal chased boats and the occupants had narrow escapes. Early this week a yachting party proceeding from Broken Bay to Sydney had an equally exciting time. two lingo whales and their calf leaping out of the sea a short distance from the boat. The yacht was the Tanda, equipped with engines, and owned By Air B. A. Provost, a well-known business man of this city. Tie had a party ol friends aboard, including Sub-Lieut. Graham do Chair, son of the Governor of this State. The party had been at Broken Bay, about 30 miles north of Sydney, for the week-end and was returning to Port Jackson early on Alonday morning. When the Tanda was off Long Beef, about seven miles from the Heads, two huge whales, of the blackbnck variety, and a smaller one, were seen about 150 yards from the yacht, on the port how. Then they disappeared, and interested watchers on the Tanda's deck were surprised a few minutes late to see them leap out of the water in front of the vessel, and within '2O yards of it. The two larger whales, AFr Prevost said, were between 50ft and (>oft long. Full speed ahead was rung aboard the yacht, which was swung to the starboard. The whales then passed astern. Sub-Lieut, do Chair was the first to notice the calf which kept close to its mother’s fin. Air Prevost said that his party had a narrow escape, for whales woie vicious in the calving season, and apt to take all precautions against posIsi hie aggressors. Ho had, ho said, lost no time in leaving their neighbourhood. Each of the whales must have weighed at least 70 tons, and falling from the height to which they leap from the sea, could easily wreck a yacht of the Tanda’s size, to say nothing of the skiffs in which dozens of fishing parties venture miles off shore every week-end.