WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



Two hours of steaming brought us in sight of 

 Storm Island and far over near the shore we could 

 see several spouts. Now and then flukes would show 

 as one of the animals went down, indicating to my 

 satisfaction that some, at least, were humpbacks. 

 When we neared the whales I left the bridge, mak- 

 ing my way forward along the deck to the harpoon- 

 gun, and with camera ready braced myself against 

 a rope. The steamer was pitching furiously and it 

 was all I could do to keep my feet, but clinging to 

 a line with one hand and shielding the lens of my 

 camera with the other, I awaited the reappearance 

 of a whale that had gone down on the starboard 

 side. 



Suddenly the gunner shouted, "There he comes!" 

 and pointed over the bow where the water was be- 

 ginning to smooth out in a large, green patch about 

 thirty fathoms away. 



Before I could focus my camera, the whale had 

 burst into view, sending his spout fifteen feet into 

 the air. Evidently he saw us for he was down again 

 in a second, only to reappear several fathoms astern. 

 Time after time he showed himself, never near enough 

 for a shot but keeping me busy exposing plates. 



After about an hour another humpback appeared 

 beside him and together they seemed to be enjoying 

 to the fullest extent the game of tag they were play- 

 ing with us. Once the larger of the two threw him- 

 self clear out of the water, showing even the tips 

 of his flukes, and fell back with a splash which 

 sounded like the muffled clap of two great hands. 



