THOUSANDS OF SHARKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 120, 8 October 1912, Page 2

THOUSANDS OF SHARKS.

FIGHT WITH WHALERS. Fremantle, September 18. Captain Bull, who represents the Norwegian syndicate that has obtained a seven years' right to hunt for whales on the north-west coast, has just returned from the hunting areas. He says that the operations so far have been very successful. "What annoyed us as much as anything," continued Captain Bull, "were the sharks along the north-west coast, especially in Sharks' Bayi, They abound in thousands. On one"occasion one of the boats, having captured a whale, left in pursuit of another, after inflating the captive with air. On returning, the whale was found to be more than 'half devoured by sharks. Swarms of these monsters . followed the whale into anchorage, and when the men got over into the small boats for the purpose of cutting up the blubber it was all they could do to keep the sharks away. They kept pushing, up their snouts between the boats and the carcase of the whole, and the men finally bad to turn their attention to the sharks, cutting them with their long knives. For over an hour I was kept busy with the rifle shooting them, but even then they gave us little peace. It was almost as bad_ at Maud's Landing, but the, sharks dislike oil, and once the water had become covered with it they were not nearly so troublesome. They will only eat the flesh of the whale when it is fresh."