ROMANTIC WHALING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 7

ROMANTIC WHALING.

THE OLD-FASHIONED STYLE.

HARPOONING AT TWOFOLD BAY

(Fbom Own Cobbkspondent.) SIDNEY. August 18 there is romance about the whaling at Twofold Bay, where the other dav Hie first whale of the season was killed The bay, situated on the south coast of New South W ales, as a favourite resort ct whales cruising to the Antarctic, though many of them are driven in there by their implacable enemies, the killers Whalers operate in the old-fashioned way of harpooning the monster and then sitting tight until the stricken whale is sufficiently distressed to be killed. The first whale of the season was seen from Ben Boyd’s old historic lookout near Boyd Town. It was lolling about languid!} in the warm waters of the bay, and fell an easy victim to the first harpoon. Ihe whalers, however, were hampered t*? .. soni , e ex^'en * ; the absence of the “killers” who usually come upon the scene and act with the sagacity of sheep dogs. They harass the harpooned monster, and every time it makes for the entrance to the sea they head it off. Finally, when it is dead they receive their reward -n the shape, of a few choice morsels. As they were absent on this recent occasion several motor launches raced backwards and forwards across the bav enti-nce to dissuade the whale from making out to sea. This cordon was not so successful as that provided by the “killers,” for the whale got through the passage, and was only killed after a tow of eight exciting miles along the coast. The occupation is a dangerous one, and requires great skil in manoeuvring to prevent the frail whaleboat from being capsized by the frantic victim as it spouts columns of blood and lashes the sea into a foam in its agony. From the snore a oatne between a whale and the whalers, with the “killers” tackling the monster with the tenacity of buldogs, is a wonderful spectacle.