WHALE MARKING 269 



It is well known that the Fin whale fishery at Saldanha Bay is based on the capture of 

 immature whales and the average length of Fin whales taken there during the season 

 1937 was 60-42 ft. {International Whaling Statistics), a length considerably less than that 

 of this marked whale taken there. This whale draws further attention to the fact that 

 in this locality the fishery is dependent upon Fin whales of an age less than three years. 



The 3 -Group consists of thirteen whales taken after periods between 1043 days and 

 1 1 69 days and after an average period of 1098 days. The majority of these whales were 

 marked around South Georgia, but returns of marks from whales marked off Enderby 

 Land and Queen Mary Land are included. The general picture presented is very similar 

 to that shown by the 2-Group discussed above (Plate LX). The whales marked around 

 South Georgia and returned in this group show no greater dispersal than those of the 

 2-Group. There is a return to within a comparatively short distance of the position of 

 marking in two cases (Nos. 1000, 1477). Three others (Nos. 1097, i486, 4543), drawn 

 from two different seasons, have been taken around the South Orkneys, suggesting a 

 repetition in the third year of the seasonal movement southwards from South Georgia. 

 The four other recoveries from South Georgia whales (Nos. 590, 842, 1443, 4368) are 

 from the region lying between the South Sandwich Group and Bouvet Island and show a 

 progressive dispersal across this region, which, it has been suggested, is not so attractive 

 to Fin whales as that farther west. The three recoveries of marks from Enderby Land 

 whales (Nos. 5784, 5818, 5997) all show movement to the west, but two (Nos. 5784, 

 5818) are so near the marking position that they only indicate a return to the same region. 

 The third (No. 5997) has been recovered a considerable distance to the west and, it is 

 interesting to note, overlaps the eastward movement of two of the South Georgia whales 

 in this group, thus reproducing the picture given by the 2-Group whales. This region, 

 lying about the Greenwich meridian, appears to be a meeting-place for South Georgia 

 and Enderby Land whales. One whale (No. 5601) marked off Queen Mary Land has 

 been recovered in this group, but in the same region and at a comparatively short 

 distance from its marking position. These results, obtained from whales that have had 

 three years of freedom, illustrate very markedly the strong instinct possessed by the 

 Fin whale to return, perhaps season by season, to the same haunts — a trait that appears 

 to be much stronger than the inclination to wander eastwards or westwards for great 

 distances around the Antarctic. 



Five Fin whales compose the 4-Group, taken after intervals between 141 3 days and 

 1500 days and after an average period of 146 1 days, exactly four years. These five returns 

 epitomize completely the characteristic movements of Fin whales as shown by the 

 "younger" groups (Plate LXI). There is the return to South Georgia by two (Nos. 235, 

 901) and there is the eastward dispersal movement from South Georgia (No. 484). This 

 last one actually shows the longest movement from this region, having reached as far 

 east as io° E, more than 1500 miles, there to meet a whale (No. 2898) showing the west- 

 ward movement from Enderby Land. There is no whale showing a return to the Enderby 

 Land grounds, but a whale (No. 2679) has returned to within 515 miles of its position 

 of marking on the Queen Mary Land grounds. 



D XIX 



