MOVING NORTH.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20214, 17 April 1931, Page 8

MOVING NORTH.

MANY SIGHTED. V' ~ ; 7 SOUNDS STATION ALERT. (PXUSSSi ■ ASSOCIATION .. TILE CHUM.) '•n's' . ..... v ■ •' SAV^r»' DUNEDIN,_ April 10/ > Notwithstanding the great destrue-r tion of whales in southern Was, thare'still appear to bo plenty of''mamnials> left. ■; , •' ./ Captain' 'Williams, of the Holmdale, ■which arrived in Dunedin to-day, says that after r 'his vessel passed Akaroa Lighthouse- on Wednesday morning shoals of ~'whales were seen. In fact, he says Ke„never savy;- so many whales', in his lif&ljefore. /iWhafes' could* be noticed spouting in.all directions; anil many of them came, quite close to 1 the' Holmdale. V ■ _ ' . The whales are migrating north, an d most of make thein way through Cook Strait; The men at the whaling stations at Picton;are' awaiting their arrival,. and they will no doubt secure a good catch. The whaling season m the north Oof the South Island is confined to the months of May and June. Captain Williams says that Mr Perano,' who is the' whaler at' Picton, understands ." thoroughly the", habits of'-the whale, and thatoiice his craft sights'one it seldom escapes. The whale will .not swim against'^the/ 'tide. Once the tide turns it simply stops arid waits for vihe tide to ftarn again, when it movesv'-on. This habit is often fatal to the whale, as those in pursuit of it know that 1 ;they will 'probably be able to catch on it later,' and keep on its track. . . It is not, clear, what variety of whale, wa seen i by captain .of. the JHolnidale. lir'; is surmised, however,- that they musV ; ,have, been either sperm or humpbacks? It? is "said that, the blue | whale does: .-■ not vniigrftte * north 1 ,. or that i at any Tt&fe it coine near the 1 eoast of Zealand,'" In the mußeum at Christeßurch, ¥owever, there" is an enormou^'j^kel^tOn~>pf bite whale which ouriSv d<SaS ottlthd' ;Okari4o beach, ojt'-ihe Weßt- OofiSt."" '"lt irf* tne blue is mostly sought after, by, vessels.