STRANGE FISH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 10

STRANGE FISH

NEAR PE LOR US SOUND. WHAT LAUNCH PARTY SAW. Per Press Association. WELLING'I ON, June 8. In a letter to the Post, Mr H. C. Christian, of 'To Pawn, Pylorus Sound, writes: —Un I 1 riilay last tit L p.m., I was passing Pippins Island, 14 miles from Nelson, cn route to the French Pass in my launch To .Rawa, with rny sister-in-law and a young native workman, when he saw what appeared to be a branch ol a tree sticking out of the water, it had a somewhat swanlike shape and appeared to be eight or nine feet long and eel shaped. As we got closer to the object wo found it. to he alive and it;, turned its head towards the launch, all three ol us making exclamations to that effect. "We noticed its tail which proturbed about three feet and curved hack towards the centre of the fish, and was split or comb-shaped at the edges. Tlie head was somewhat like that ol an eel. hut rather of the appearance of a dog's head with hair on the to]) and three ieet out of the water. “The most peculiar feature was that when we saw it it appeared to he quite still, although fully two-thirds pi the fish was out ol the water, and it remained in that, position until I turned the launch toward it. and we got within about -10 loot, when it, submeigcd. I have been 35 years in this territory and have seen nothing like it nor have others.’