WHALE KILLED

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1933, Page 6

WHALE KILLED

EXCITEMENT ON A LAUNCH

VESSEL ATTACKED BY CALF,

(Per Press Association, Copyright)

AUCKLAND, October 17

A sixty foot whale av;is killed between Cape Colville 'and the Great Barrier Island on Sunday by Mr Wright, of Auckland in the fishing launch “OuthiAv.” Wright 'had an ext morelinnrv experience.

They were using a seine net Avhen two v,'hale s Avere sighted. He loaded a .303 nfle Avibii soft nosed bullets, intending by firing, to frighten the whales aAvuv. The first bullet struck the larger whale - in the vicinity oi the fluke. The whale turned over immediately, and flapped lor a "bile, and then lay motionless. He fired several more shots and then took the launch alongside.

He stopped on to the whale’s carcase and began cutting a bole in the, fluke in order to attach a toAvline. I hen tlie whale made a violent plunge, ‘and Wright hastily steped back on to the launch, and '.fired the remainder of his ammunition.

A rope Avr.s attached to its tad, but the second, and smaller, whale charged the launch. Wright scabbed it on the nose with a book hook, and it swam away. The launch took eight hours to tow the carcase t-Avelvc miles to W’nangaparap ra, and all the Ava> , the- ®ma l whale .followed, and charged' towards the launch and -ari'sed into the carcase.

It was apparently a nearly fullgrown calf, of the larger whale. A E'er be g-hing the 'carcase, the launch set out from the-. harbour rrd was followed by the calf- Forty-five shots Ave*e fired at it, but as it wou’d not leave the launch had to return to tlie b’g whale which had a large harpoon embedded in R.

I: has been recognised, as o,ge of the humpback variety.