AN OCEAN COMBAT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 9

AN OCEAN COMBAT

WHALES AT BAY

UNIQUE SEASIDE ENTERTAIN-

MENT.

(FRO» ODE OWK CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 25th September.

During the past week some huga whales have been causing intense interest, and amusement for the visitors al Tweed Heads and Goolangatta, the popular twin seaside resorts on the border line of New South Wales and Queensland. Whales are often seen in that locality, especially at thiß time of the year, proceeding south, but it is seldom that they hang about one spot for long at a time. Two of the whales, of apparently huge proportions, attracted considerable attention on Sunday morning, sporting in the waves, about three-quarters of a mile from shore. The whales presented an interesting sight, spouting at regular intervals, and at time 3 disclosing the greater portion of their huge bodies out of' the water. During the afternoon a most uncommon sight wa« witnessed, namely, a combat between whales and their implacable enemies, the thrasher sharks. It is a general belief that the thrasher sharks and sword-fish make a joint attack bit their common enemy, the whale, tha sword-fish attacking from beneath ana driving the whale to the surface, whera the attack is continued by the thrasners, largely from above. This would appear to have been the case on Sunday, when the whale 3 were plainly visible at times, although the fight took place a considerable distance from shore. The thrashers, of immense size, could be Been with the naked eye, making, repeated attacks from above, leaping upright from the water, and descending on the enemy beneath, tho plunge being accompanied by clouds of spray. In one case, two thrashers were noted making a united attack on one whale, and at one stage of the fight both thrashers remained poised upright in the air for several seconds, one swaying from side to side, apparently endeavouring to balance on the whale beneath. Two fights were proceeding within half a mile of each other, and continued in sight for upwards of half an hour, when the conibatants disappeared round the point at Point Danger. . The thrasher shark is known to fishermen as the fox-shark, or^ sea-fox (Alopias Vulpes), and certainly appears) to display a good deal of the cunning of the fox in it« fighting methods.