WHALE CAPTURED NEAR BLENHEIM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18187, 21 June 1927, Page 6

WHALE CAPTURED NEAR BLENHEIM.

WEEK-END PARTY HAS GREAT EXPERIENCE. (Special to the “ Star.”) BLENHEIM, June 20. A Blenheim party who spent the week-end in the Sounds had the thrilling experience 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, who comprised Messrs N. G. Parker, J. B. M’Callum and E. H. Whiting, left town on Saturday and proceeded on Mr Parker’s auxiliary schooner-rigged yacht, Queen Charlotte, to Mr James Jackson's bay, near the whalers’ headquarters at Te Awaite. It was in tended to pick up Mr James Jackson and then to proceed out into Cook Strait for deep-sea fishing, and also, if the occasion arose, to witness whaling operations, but a south-easterly storm outside had brought up a heavy sea, and the programme had to be modified. A somewhat trying night was spent in Jackson’s Bay, and the party were busily engaged j-esterday morning in snugging things down when they were hailed from shore with the cry “ A whale! A whale in the channel! ” The Queen Charlotte immediately proceeded out into the channel. Here a wonderful and thrilling spectacle was witnessed, six of the fastest launches in New Zealand being 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. Perano party. On each launch the gunner was be seen standing in the bow behind his deadly harpoon gun, but the launches themselves were almost out of sight in the spume as they tore through the water. The j Surprise, of the E. C. Perano fleet, which has a speed of forty-five miles an hour, was late in getting a start, but 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 around 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 towards 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 that 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. Surprise’s speed got her there first, and before 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 party, for the first to get the harpoon home claims the prize. The fight was not 3*et over, for the whale immediately sounded, but guided by the harpoon rope the other launches waited to get an opportunity to administer the coup de grace with a bomb. This was accomplished after two or three unsuccessful attempts, and the leviathan floated dead upon the water. After being inflated with air the whale was towed to the factory, and a start immediately ivas made to strip off the valuable blubber. This is the third catch for the E. C. Perano party this season, and the J. A. Perano party have four -whales to their credit. It is very rarely that whales are killed inside Tor;/ - 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.