NUMEROUS WHALES

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1931, Page 2

NUMEROUS WHALES

AKAnoA TO DUNEDIN GOOD CATCH FOR PICTON Predicted. DENE DIN, April In. ]S’ot (twitlistandiiig the gpi.it destrUetioii of ’.'bales in soniherb seas, then: still ajipear to he Jdenty of mammals 'eft. Captain Williams, of the Holmdale. which arrived in Dunedin to-day states that after his vessel passej Akama lighthouse: on Wednesday morning, shoals of whales were seen In fact, he says, he never saw so many whales in his life before. Whiles could l.e noticed spouting in all ilncc tions and many of them came (pntc close to the Holmdale. '1 he whales arc migrating north and most <ft them make their way through Cook Strait. The men at the whaling stations at Pictoii are awaiting their arrival and they v. ill no doubt secure a good catch. The whaling season north of the .Souto Island is confined to the .months of May and .June.

Captain Williams states that Mr Per.'.no, who is the most experienced whaler at the I’ieton stations, understands thoroughly the habits of the whale and that once his craft sights one it seldom escapes. Captain Williams also points out that a whale will not swim against the tide. Once the tide turns it simply stops and waits for the tide to turn again, when it moves on. T liis habit is often fatal to the whale, as those in pursuit of it know that they will probably he able to catch up on it later and keep oil its track It is not clear wbal variety of whale was seen i>v tile captain of the ITolmdaile. It is surmised, ho We vein that they must have lech either r.perln or humpbacks. It. is said that the blue whale does not migrate north or that, at any rate, it does not come near the coast of Xew Zealand. Tu the museum at Christchurch, however, there is an enormous skeleton of a blue whale which was found dead on Okarito Reach on the West Coast. Ihe length oi this whale is given as m lent. It is the blue whale which is mostly sought after by whaling vessels.