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Otago Witness, Issue 3898, 27 November 1928, Page 25

Measly Beach, Wangaloa, vied with Kaka Point recently as a magnet to draw visitors. The reason was a large dead whale found stranded at the Wangaloa end of a beach that one time enjoyed a brief fame as the scene of a gold strike. The cetacean, which was of the valuable sperm variety, a true cacholot, was discovered and claimed by Mr E. Morrison, of Wangaloa, on Friday morning. The carcass had evidently come ashore on the Thursday night, *as it was partly imbedded in the sand when it was found. It was first sighted by Mr F. Bluett, who informed Mr Morrison. A magnificent specimen, measuring fully 66 feet in length, and of immense girth, its commercial possibilities are considerable, and this added to the attractiveness of the find. The tail fin alone measured 12 feet, and on Sunday a Kaitangata resident persuaded his horse to mount the carcass, where it stood comfortably while being photographed. Twentypeople easily found standing room on top of the whale. Judging by the mark?, it appears that it had met its death at sea from the attacks of swordfish and sharks. It is estimated that over 200 cars visited the scene of the find on Sunday week, and motor buses also ran from Balclutha and Kaitangata.- Mr Morrison is now engaged in having the blubber cut out, and-it will be despatched to the freezer at Finegand, there to be rendered into whale oil, a valuable marketable commodity.