3 66 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Humpbacks did not long figure in the catches to the practical exclusion of other 

 species, for in 191 2-1 3 they had become scarce and Blue and Fin whales were being 

 hunted in their stead. This scarcity of Humpbacks caused considerable anxiety to the 

 whalers, whose attitude is recorded in the following passage from the Magistrate's 

 report on season 1913-14, "The question has often been debated by the local whale- 

 men as to the real cause of this continual scarcity of the Humpback whale. Is it the 

 continual killing that has thinned them down and frightened the remainder off? Or in 

 the course of their ocean migrations have they merely changed their course for the time 

 being to come back again? The general feeling is hopeful and inclined to take the latter 



view". 



But the Humpbacks did not return and the companies swiftly adapted themselves to 

 the new conditions. That there was a definite change of attitude is illustrated by the 

 following extract from Barrett-Hamilton's general notes quoted by Hinton (1925, 

 p. 155): "The species most hunted at South Georgia are Humpbacks, which are pre- 

 ferred to the Finners and Blue whales. A few Sperm and Right whales are caught, the 

 former in November and December, the latter when amongst the other whales, but 

 (according to Mr Henriksen, the manager of the South Georgia Company) usually they 

 keep to themselves, north-west of the island, and are not worth hunting specially there. 

 Though a Right whale is three times as valuable as a Humpback, the latter are preferred 

 where abundant, because their size is convenient for handling. Similarly, Finners and 

 Blue whales are not killed if Humpbacks can be obtained, being hard to kill and only 

 manageable in fine weather. Blue whales are a bit too large for the tackle if adult. 

 Therefore, South Georgia is primarily a Humpback fishery (Henriksen)". This was in 



I 9 I 3~ I 4- . , , -. 



Blue and Fin whales then became the mainstay of the catch and since the beginning 



of this fishery the companies have been fortunate in that any improvements they intro- 

 duced in the catchers and plant to meet the needs of the fishery with regard to one species 

 met also its needs with regard to the other, and by drawing their catch from two species 

 they were much less at the mercy of fluctuations in the supply of either. The failure of 

 the Humpbacks, however, is a fact that cannot be ignored. There is no evidence at all 

 that the course of their ocean migration was changed. It seems far more likely that the 

 decline was due to overfishing, and if so it follows that it was the same stock that was 

 affected each year. 



The catches of Blue and Fin whales now claim our attention, and, limited as our 

 knowledge is by lack of definite evidence of migrations, certain features of the supply 

 of these whales can be outlined. It is evident from study of the catches that extensive 

 movements of large herds of whales take place both into and out of the area. At one 

 time fishing was continuous throughout the year but the catches made during the winter 

 were far from profitable and it was realized as a fact of importance to the industry that 

 of the large numbers of whales accessible during the summer only a small remnant re- 

 mained round the island during the winter. The movements of the herds as deduced 

 from monthly catch statistics have been studied by Risting (1928), and in more detail 



