THE FOOD OF WHALES 



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The table suggests that fluctuations of the following nature took place in the food 

 supply during the periods in which the whales were examined : 



South Georgia, February to May 1925. Large krill were abundant and the whales 

 well fed during February and March, but the supply seems to have been slightly 

 reduced during April and May. 



South Georgia, 1925-6 Season. Plenty of large krill were present in October and the 

 first part of November, but they became scarcer later in November and in the first part of 

 December. No whales were examined in the second half of December, but in January the 

 large krill appear to have been suddenly replaced by a smaller type, scarce at first (unless 

 the whales had difficulty in finding it) and then eaten in fair quantities. This krill 

 seems to have become most plentiful in the earlier part of March. It is an interesting 

 fact that the new type of krill which appeared in January was accompanied by a striking 

 change in the whale population round South Georgia, for whales were very scarce 

 during October, November and December, especially during December. But at about 

 the new year immense numbers of Fin whales appeared. They were found first about 

 70 miles from the island and seemed to be finding very little food. Later they came 

 closer to the coast and larger quantities of food were found in their stomachs. 



Saldanha Bay, 1926. Food was extremely scarce here compared with South Georgia, 



14-2 



