AN OCEAN COMBAT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18194, 3 October 1924, Page 12

AN OCEAN COMBAT.

WHALES AT BAY. 1 r: ! A (noit OtT3 OWJ COXXXSPOXDMXt.y 5 SYDNEY. September % Daring the past week some fij whales have been causing terest and amusement for the visS6 at Tweed Heads and Coolangattaj?! popular twin seaside resorts on 1 border line of Xt?w South Wales ! Queensland. Whales are often seen thai; loeaiiry, especially at this t{ of the year, proceeding south, but is seldom that they hang about one a for long at a time. Two of the of apparently Luge proportions, <j traeted considerable attention on Si day morning, sporting in the w*f! about three-quarters of a mile ft shore. Tbe whales presented an £sl esting sight, spouting' at regular , terra Is, and at times disclosaf I greater portion of their huge bodi out of the water. During the aftwj neon a most uncommon sight was itt|j nessed, namely, a combat betvetn whales and their implacable tbe thrasher shark. It if a general: belief that the thrasher sharks and sword-fish make a joint attack common enemy, the whale, tie fish attacking from beneath, and; ing the whale to the surface, vliM ikflj attack is continued by the thrashers largely from above. This woald appeaH to have been the case on Sunday, will the whales were plainly vurible ji times, although the fight took placej considerable distance from shore. "TH thrashers, of immense size, conld ■ seen with the naked eye, makingr w peated attacks from above, leapingjja right from the water, and deseesjßjH on the enemy beneath, the plunge bul accompanied by clouds of one case, two thrashers were noted wi|| ing a united attack an one at one stage of tbe fight both tlns||H remained poised upright in the amaH several seeonds, one swaying to side, apparently balance on the whale bene»t!bl||M fights were proceeding within. mile of each other, and rnnffniMßH sight for upwards of when the combatants disappeartiliH at Point Danger. Thett>j|iM shark is known to fishermen as shark, or sea-fox (Alopias certainly appears to disbar a gßajjjW of the cunning of the fox in ifieaHH k ing methods. V§SmH