WHALE MARKING 251 



a hired commercial whale-catcher being employed. The experiment lasted from 

 20 December 1932 to 12 January 1933, and the whales considered to be effectively 

 marked were 202 Fin, two Blue, two Humpback and one Sei. Although operations 

 extended beyond the range of the South Georgia whalers, all the marking was carried 

 out in the neighbourhood of the island, the farthest point visited being the Shag Rocks. 

 When the results of this experiment promised success the 'William Scoresby' was 

 commissioned and then spent four whaling seasons on the pelagic grounds along the 

 Antarctic ice-edge. This was only made possible by the very willing co-operation of the 

 whaling companies working in the areas visited, for although the ' William Scoresby ' 

 has a large bunker capacity and a greater range of operation than a commercial whale- 

 catcher, it was necessary to refuel at intervals. Fuel oil was provided by the factory 

 ships on the grounds and so enabled the marking vessel to continue her work with only 

 the occasional interruption of a few hours throughout a season of four months' duration. 

 Each of these four commissions of the ' William Scoresby ' lasted about seven months, 

 and this allowed a period of four months, roughly coincident with the legal southern 

 whaling season, to be spent actually on the grounds. During the first three of these 

 commissions, 1934—35 to I 93°~37' tne sn ip sailed from London about the middle of 

 October and proceeded to Cape Town ; after final preparations there she departed for 

 the whaling grounds towards the end of November. Since she was dependent on fuel- 

 oil supplies from the factory ships, their departure northwards at the end of the 

 season's operations put a period to the ' William Scoresby's ' activities, but by taking a 

 last supply of fuel oil as late as could be arranged it was possible to remain in the south 

 some ten to fourteen days longer than the whalers. The ship then returned to the Cape 

 and so back to London. 



During each of these three seasons an area extending from the meridian of Greenwich 

 to 105 E longitude was covered by a series of courses running parallel or roughly 

 diagonally to the edge of the pack-ice. Endeavours were made to avoid the areas covered 

 by the catchers of any factory ship and for the most part the 'William Scoresby' 

 worked to the north of the whalers and away from the pack-ice, although visits thereto 

 were made in search of Blue whales and for shelter during some of the spells of violent 

 weather that were frequently experienced. The results of these cruises are set out in 

 Table I, and it will be seen that the first two seasons gave very similar figures, a total 

 of almost 700 whales being marked on each occasion; the third season's work was more 

 successful and a total of 960 was reached. 



The species of whale chiefly marked was the Fin, the most abundant whale on the 

 Antarctic whaling grounds and for the pursuit of which the ' William Scoresby ' is most 

 suited. Humpbacks and Blues were also marked in moderate numbers, although the 

 last species was much more difficult to pursue successfully than the other two. The very 

 successful third season, 1936-37, gave a large addition to the number of Blue whales 

 marked. 



While the ' William Scoresby ' was engaged on this main area of the pelagic whaling 

 grounds a hired whale-catcher operated from South Georgia during each of these three 



