PURSUIT OF A WHALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19668, 21 June 1927, Page 8

PURSUIT OF A WHALE.

AN EXCITING EPISODE. RIVAL PARTIES AT WORK. CAPTURE OF THE QUARRY. THRILLS IN TORY CHANNEL [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT. BLENHEIM. Monday. A Blenheim party which spent the week end in the Sounds had the thrilling ex perience yesterday morning of witnessing at close quarters the capture of a whale, and an exciting race in a heavy sea by the launches of the rival whaling parties to be the first to get the harpoon home. The party, which comprised Messrs. N. G. Parker, J. B. McCallum and E. H. Whiting, was cruising in the yacht Queer. Charlotte when a cry from tho shore told them that a whale had been sighted. The Queen Charlotte immediately proceeded into the channel and a wonderful ant thrilling spectacle was witnessed. Six of the fastest launches in New Zealand were seen racing, drenched in spray.' up the Tory Channel in a heavy sea and against a south-east gale, in an exciting race for the prize. Three of the launches belonged to the E. C. Perano party, and the other three to the rival J. A. Peranc party. On each launch the gunner -was standing in the bow behind his deadly harpoon gun, but the launches were almost out of sight in the spume as they tore through the water. The Surprise, of the E. C. Perano fleet,, which has a speed of 45 miles an hour, was late in getting a start, but it raced past the other launches and was first on the spot where the whale had sounded. Immediately on reaching this spot all the launches slowed down and cruised round waiting for the whale to rise again. Slowly the monster rose to the surface and sent a jet of water high in the air. With a roar of exhaust pipes, audible above the shrieking gale, all the launches rushed toward the spot, but before any could get near the whale sounded again, This thrilling game of hide and seek went on for about a quarter of an hour, the whale going first in one direction and then in another. Suddenly there was a loud report, and a harpoon was seen hurtling through the air. J. Kenny, of the J. A. Perano party, had fired his gun, but after a moment of suspense it was seen he had missed. A heavy sea striking the boat at the moment of firing had deflected his aim and the harpoon passed harmlessly over the whale. As it was observed rising again, the launches dashed for it. The Surprise's speed got her there first, and ere the whale could sound again T. Norton had fired his harpoon and secured a hit for the E. C. Perano party. Great jubilation was immediately manifest among this part\ r , for the first to get the harpoon home claims the prize. The fight was not yet over, for the whale immediately sounded, but, guided by the harpoon rope the other launches waited to get an opportunity to adminis ter the coup d 6 grace with a bomb. This was accomplished after two or threi unsuccessful attempts, and the leviatha; floated dead upon the water. The whale was towed to the factor; and a start was made immediately k strip off the valuable blubber. This made the third catch for the E. C Perano party this 1 season, and the J. A. Perano party have four whales to theii credit. It is very rarely that whales are killed inside Tory Channel, and it is thought that this whale must have come up the Sound during the night and was endeavouring to regain the open sea when captured.