A BIG WHALE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 665, 18 October 1933, Page 6

A BIG WHALE

CAPTURED BY FISHERMEN IN A SMALL LAUNCH KILLED WITH RIFLE Auckland, Tuesday. A 60-foot whale was killed between Cape Colville and the Great Barrier Island on Sunday by Mr. Vivian Wright, of the Auckland fishing launch Outlaw. Mr. Wright had an extraordinary experience. They were using a seine net when two whales were sighted. He loaded a .303 rifle with soft-nosed bullets, intending by firingj to frighten the whales away. The first bullet struck the larger whale in the vicinity of the fluke. The whale turned over immediately, flapped for a while, and then iay motionless. He fired several more shots, and then took the launch alongside, stepped on to the whale's carcase, and began cutting a hole in the fluke in order to attach a towline. Then the whale made a violent plunge, and Mr. Wright hastily stepped back on to the launch and fired the remainder of the ammunition. When the whale ceased to struggle a rope was attached to its tail, but the second and smaller whale charged the launch. Mr. Wright stabbed it in the nose with a boathook, and it swam away. The launch took eight hours to tow the carcase 12 miles to Whangaparapara, and all the way the small whale followed, charged towards the launch, and nosed into the carcase. It was apparently a nearly full grown calf of the larger whale. After beaching the carcase the launch set out from the harbour and was followed by the calf. Forty-five shots were fired at it, but it was some time before it would leave the launch. The big whale, which had a harpoon embedded in it, had been recognised as of the humpback variety.