MODERN FIN-WHALING 167 



travels in search of food at the rate of about six miles an 

 hour, but when frightened, travelling, or struck by a harpoon, 

 it can go at twenty knots, a speed which it can maintain for 

 a long period. In feeding on a bank of "kril," it swims on 

 its side, erects a fin, and gives a sudden movement of " full- 

 speed ahead " ; at the same moment the vast mouth is opened 

 and slowly closed, encompassing about twenty barrels of 

 shrimps. As the mouth closes the water is forced outwards, 

 and may be seen rushing in a white stream from the sides 

 of the baleen, whilst the food remains resting on the inside 

 of the "plates," to be swallowed at leisure. All the BalcBnop- 

 tera feed in this manner, and I have seen a large Finback 

 rolling round and round the steamer, taking in its huge 

 mouthfuls with evident satisfaction, and caring as little for 

 our presence as if we were not there at all — in fact it seemed 

 a miracle that he could avoid striking the vessel with his 

 great jaws. 



The Blue Whale generally remains under water during his 

 great dive, according to my watch, for ten to twenty minutes. 

 On reaching the surface he " blows," sending up a spout of 

 air and steam to a height of from 20 to 30 feet. He rolls 

 over, slowly exposing the blow-hole, and afterwards the small 

 back fin. Then he makes a series of from eight to twelve 

 short dives on the surface, occupying four minutes. When 

 making his great dive he often raises his tail right out of the 

 water, but not at such a perpendicular angle as the Humpback, 

 It is during the time the whale is making these short dives 

 on the surface that the steam whaler races in and endeavours 

 to get the shot. When struck by the harpoon and its burst- 

 ing charge, the great Blue Whale often dives at once and 

 sinks to the bottom of the sea. Frequently it rushes off at 

 high speed, and then, coming to the surface, dies after a short 



