WHALING

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1925, Page 7

WHALING

IN ROSS SEA. LECTURE BY CAPTAIN HOOPER. WELLINGTON, April 22. Lecturing on the Ross dependency, Captain Hooper, who recently visited that region with a whaling fleet, said that last year’s catch totalled 31,500 barrels of oil. Ho had reached the concluusion that with the exception of whaling, there was no Mrosp-cct of establishing any industry* in the dependency, even though some minerals and coal had been found. There was no vegetation to maintain life, and the introduction of carnivorous animals would be calamitous to the penguins. The soil was scanty, nothing but- roeks. Guiano was visible when lhe sii.rv was off the gi ound during the th.ree mouths of the summer period. CAPTAIN HOOPER INTERVIEWED. WI.’TfIJNGTON, April

1” un interview here, Captain Hoop- , er. minimal advispr to tre Marine Department, am] magisterial officer appointed to Hie Ross dependency, gave fl Uriel narratix’e of some of his ex-periem-es and what he saw. The whaling induslry of (he world is Io all intent- and purposes in the hands, of the No; wegi:: ns. and it is a Norwegian whaling expedition which has bi'-'ii conducting cpert'iions in the Russ Sea with the permission of the New Zea-

land Government. Wonderful Photographs. During his four months’ sojourn in (hose regions. Captain Hooper secured v remarkable collection of photographs of whales and whalers, ice flocs nnd (he great ice barrier which should go down as a historic, record of the dependency now administered from, the Dominion. There is practically no rain in those regions, but it is necessary to guard against the winds, which are penefratingly cold. The whalers apparel usually constitutes a leather coat end trousers. leather hat and etirfltqis which ]>rotecr practically the whole of the head* from frostbite. They arc found the most pliant and windproof, and if the men ran keep out lhe wind, a xcry comfortable Avarmth is main ta i nod. Forty Below Freezing Point. Those who have only experienced lhe temperate average climate of New Zealand have no idea of the cold doAvn there. Whaling is carried on in a. temperature as low as 40 degrees below freezing point, this being at a. spot close to the groat iee barrier, which surrounds the South Polo for hundreds of miles. Tt was 200 miles further south on the great barr’er that the heroic

Captain Scott lost his life. AVhon the whale chasers are moving through the sea, the spray flies over fhe how of the bony most of it freezing as it, conies in ocntact with the metal work. This accumulates until the ooaa’ appears to be a mass of ice, and has to be t hopped aAvay Avith crowbars and otlier implements to take the Aveight off the bow. Tt is upon the nose of the boat lint the harpoon gun is mounted, and the picture of the gunner ready for fluty behind the gun, on Avhat appears to be an ice block, is a flne one. Tt is also necessary to see that the bar-, poon and line arc free, ready for instant use. and the line, Avhich is a manilia rope of specially fine ipiality, seven inches in diameter, has to be constantly beaten whore exposed to run through the sheaves and blocks whim the. hnrpono is fired. When the temperature is very low, the spray fails on the deck Avith a noise like hands full of peas being thrown against a wooden partition. Leviathans of the Sea. The. whale factory is a ship of about 12,000 tons, ami tin* Avhale chasers are iron vessels <>f about 100 tons with a speed of ten knots. They may have to go as far as 150 miles away from the factorV to find a Avlmle, and a chaser is lucky to make a catch Avithin five or ten miles of the factory. One of the photographs shows the gunner, Avho has just fired the harpoon, a,nd the Aveapon as it strikes the whale, and a second one is sent in before the monster begins its dash for freedom. The range of (he gun is about 200 feet, but more line is paid out as the huge sea mammal makes its dash for freedom. Look Out for Trouble. TVs soon, as the harpoon strikes, the vessel stesei n-ieni, for Il<v Jo notdare to get to <-lo,e rpeirlers with a whale fighting , " r ' ,s these monsters will \vei:;h almost n.' iww-h as the ship, ati.l a Wow from a whale’s tail w.mhl sto'O /l tin- sola ( ,f the vessel. Even though the Imai is steaming astern, the w bale u ill fri - <;i:entlv them along al a s, .1 ~i,|,l hoots. ,ni.l lhe light may lasi from an hour to seven ami eight hours Then the whale may blow amt malm a dive under an iee pack, ami them is not a moment to lose in outing the line In avoid disostor. Sometimes the elms-,.,-s will sueeecd in harpooning ihe v.lmb- afresh, ami so rewwer iheir fa.-kle, Iml in some mses, Inindreds of fathoms ol' bountiful rop<- are entirely 'osf. (mmisioiml ly a ehnser will “iplnre Imo or three whales. When dead, tln-y are honied elose in to the side ? tire Imat, a punetme is made, and nil pumped into the “(reuses to nialm them float. The cutting up and Toiling of the Lluhhor is done at the faefory. Almost every part is looih d. and wlum (hat is done, there is md mnel, left. C-ne whale 'weighed 95 tons, nnd wo--95 feet in 'length. The whul'ng fleet Ims been in the Boss Son for the past two years.