TITANIC COMBAT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 67, 10 November 1931, Page 5

TITANIC COMBAT

WHALE AND THRESHER FIGHT TERRIFIC BATTLE WELLINGTON, Monday, The unusual sight of a fight between a thresher shark and a whale was seen between Mana Island and Plimmerton by Mr. H. C. Frame, of Plimmerton, who stated the whale was a large one, and was evidently hardpressed. It frequently rose out of the water and dropped back with a great splash and a resounding crash. Sometimes the great flulces rose into ,the air and deseended with' terrific force upon the water, as the whale tried to deal with the thresher Now and again the tail of the thresher came out of the water to whirl round and strike like a flail. Sometimes the struggle gave the impression of a sea serpent, with the nose and long back of the whale above the surfaee and the sinuous tail of the thresher adding considerably to its length. The fight continued for about an hour. Sometimes the whale sounded, but it kept mostly to the surfaee, blowig frequently and making a larger cloud of vapour than usual. No finalitv was anoarentlv reached while the

pair were in sight. A few days after the first fight, what seemed to be the same combatants were again seen moving South between North Head and Mana Island. This was described by Mr. J. Foster who saw it from a close up range. It was a great and very exei'ting struggle.