LARGE WHALE KILLED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19623, 18 October 1933, Page 6

LARGE WHALE KILLED

FISHERMAN'S EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, October 17. A 60 foot whale was killed between Cape Colville and the Great Barrier Island on Sunday by Viv Wright, of Auckland, fishing from the launch Outlaw. Wright had an extraordinary experience. The party he was with were using a seine net when two wha! > were sighted. He loaded a .30J nl • with softnosed bullets, intending b, firing to frighten tile whales away. The first bullet struck the lurger whale near the fluke. The whale turned over lmmediatelv, flapped for a while and then lay motionless. He fired several more shots then took the launch alongside and stepped on to the whale's carcase and began cutting a hole in the fluke in order to attach the tow-line. Then the whale made a violent plunge and Wright hastily stepped back on to the launch and fired the remainder of the ammunition. When the whale ceased to struggle a rope was attached to ltj tail, but the second and smaller whale charged the launch. Wright stabbed it in the nose wdth a boathook and it ' swam away. The launch took eight hours to towi the carcase 12 miles to Whangaparni rara, and all the way the small whale ! followed, charged towards the launch ! and nosed into the carcase. It was | apparently the nearly full-grown calf !of the larger whale. After beaching the carcase the launch set out from til ■ j harbour and was followed by the calf ! Forty-five shots were fired at it but as it would not leave the launch had to return The big whale, which had a large harpoon embedded in it. has bee:, recognised as of the humpback variety.