THE SOUTHERN WHALING STATIONS 261 



Dependencies lasts only through the southern summer, but at South Africa it is con- 

 ducted only during the winter. By visiting a whaling station at Saldanha Bay in Cape 

 Colony for one season we were able to fulfil the double purpose of examining the 

 whales in a different locality and of carrying the observations over a whole year. 



On the South African coasts there are only two whaling centres of importance: 

 at Saldanha Bay 60 miles north of Cape Town, and at Durban in Natal. A consider- 

 able number of whales are taken annually in these places, but the African coast as a 

 whaling centre is hardly comparable with the Dependencies. At South Georgia, apart 

 from the South Shetlands and South Orkneys,- nearly 6000 whales were killed in the 

 1924-5 season. The two stations at Saldanha Bay took less than 1600 whales in 1925, 

 and at Durban 1285 whales were taken in the same year. The average size of the 

 whales at South African stations is also much smaller than at South Georgia and the 

 South Shetlands. 



It has already been explained that the work at South Georgia was conducted from 

 the Marine Biological Station on King Edward's Point, at the whaling station of 

 the Compafia Argentina de Pesca. Four whale boats operate from this station and 

 the season lasts from October to May, as is also the case with the other companies at 

 South Georgia. At South Africa the work was continued at Messrs Irvin and Johnson's 

 station at Donkergat, Saldanha Bay. Here nine whale catchers were working during 

 the season we were there, and the fact that with twice as many boats fewer and smaller 

 whales were taken at this station than at South Georgia indicates the comparative 

 richness of the latter locality from the point of view of the whaling industry. 



We may take the opportunity here of acknowledging the courtesy we have received 

 from the Norwegian community during the whole of our stay at South Georgia, 

 particularly from Capt. V. Esbensen, the manager of the station at Grytviken, who has 

 done much to facilitate our work. 



THE SOUTHERN WHALING STATIONS 



It is not within the scope of the present memoir to enter into an exhaustive description 

 of the southern whaling industry, but a brief account of a southern whaling station 

 and the routine of the whaler's operations will not be out of place. 



The whale boats operate from one of two types of base. Either there is a shore 

 station which is built at the water's edge in some cove or well-sheltered part of the 

 coast, or there is a floating factory or factory ship which may be anchored throughout 

 the season in a similar situation, or may operate at a distance from land. The 

 central part of a shore station is the flensing platform, a wooden structure on which 

 the dismemberment of the whale's carcass takes place, and which slopes gently down 

 to the water. This platform may measure up to about 50 yards square and is fitted 

 with a number of steam winches by means of which the flensing process is carried 

 out. Built round the platform are sheds which house the various boilers in which the 



