BIG WHALE KILLED WITH RIFLE

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20989, 18 October 1933, Page 5

BIG WHALE KILLED WITH RIFLE

AUCKLAND FISHERMAN'S EXPERIENCE tTBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, October 17. A 60-foot whale was killed between Cape Colville and Great Barrier Island on Sunday by V. Wright, of the Aucklan 1 fishing launch Outlaw. Wright had an extraordinary experience. He was using a Seine net when two whales were sighted. He loaded a .303 rifle with soft-nosed oullets, intending by firing to frighten the whales away. The first bullet struck the larger whale near the fluke. The whale turned over immediately, flapped for a while, and then lay motionless. He fired several more shots, then took the launch alongside and 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 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, smaller whale charged the launch. 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 Whangapara, and all the way the small whale followed and charged towards the launch and nosed into the carcase. It was apparently the 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 as it would not leave, the launch had to return to the big whale, which had a large harpoon embed led in it. It has been recognised as of the humpback variety.