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Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 September 1911, Page 3

An exciting fight between thrashers

and a whale was witnessed off Sydney

Heads a few days ago. Tho signal . .Q^aster (Mr. Gibson ) saw a commotion ;^f^in the ocean among some whales to ;^V the eastward of the heads, and an cxi . animation through the glasses showed that upwards of a dozen thrashers ■were in .deadly combat with a.whale, estimated as being 60 feet' in length. The whale was attacked from all sides, and in'its efforts to escape lashed the pea into a mass of foam. It made desperate efforts to get seaward, but all to no avail. The thrashers leaped into the air, and came down on it with terrific force, all the time heading the monster; ■ towards the cliffs. One

thrasher, in particular, was noticed to . sweep down repeatedly on ihe mamal. This thraslier had a fin estimated by Mr Gibson to bo 6 feet.in length, and was emiked with white patches od either side. It seemed to head the charge on the whale, which was gradually forced into shallow water half a mile from the cliffs, where it suddenly disappeared, having evidently succumbed io tJie attack oi its enemies.