WHALERS IN COOK STRAIT EXPECT GOOD SEASON

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1950, Page 3

WHALERS IN COOK STRAIT EXPECT GOOD SEASON

WELLINGTON, This Day (0.C.). —Across on the othei’ side of Cook Strait the last whaling station _is carrying on New Zealand’s oldest industry, and the manager (Mr G. T. Perano) is expecting another successful season. “It seems to be instinctive for the whales to pass -through Cook Strait cn their way north to warmer seas,” said Mr Perano. . Last season 139 whales were caught. The tally so far this season is 15. Nearly all the whales caught are humpbacks, although last year a blue whale (the largest of the family), measuring 98ft, was taken. Its jawbone was 26ft across. About 250 ft above the entrance to Tory Channel is the look-out. To reach it one lands from a dinghy on a very small rocky “beach,” and then scrambles up a steep, narrow path along the side of an almost sheer cliff From this look-out three men watch all day through powerful binoculars for whale-spouts. Under good conditions these may be seen for about 14 miles, but on windy days, when the spout is blown down, the watchers rely on spotting whales close inshore. Radio communication between the whale chasers, the look-out, and the mother-ship Tuataea enables whales, once sighted, to be kept in view and changes of direction notified to the ships from the look-out. Last year whale carcasses were taken to the Picton freezing works, cut into steaks, canned, and sent to England. Mr Perano said that this was not being done this year, but there was a possibility that next year the meat would be prepared for an animal food. '