22 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



(d) HUMPB ACE-WHALE GROUNDS. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF HUMPBACK WHALES. Humpback whales (Megaptera) 

 are found within the parallels of G0 north and 70 south latitude. They are seldom seen far 

 from land, but are generally caught in mild climates, within certain bays and along coasts where 

 the water is shallow. 



The most noted places for taking them in the Atlantic Ocean are in the vicinity of the Island 

 of Trinidad and in the Gulf of Para, from 10 to 11 north latitude, and 01 to 63 west longitude, 

 also around Gape Verde Islands during the winter months, and on the coast of Africa from 3 

 north to 7 south latitude from June to October. 



" Some of the Proviucetown whalers," says Captain Atwood, " prosecute both the humpback 

 and the sperm whale fishery. They sail from port about the middle or last of January and go 

 direct to the West Indies, where they whale near the shores of these islands for humpbacks. 

 Their whaling-ground for this species is from Tobago, latitude 11 20' north, longitude 60 21' 

 west, thence northward around the shores of the islands as far as the Island of Mariegulante, iii 

 latitude 15 52' north, longitude 61 18' west. These vessels stop there until the latter part of 

 April or early in May, when they leave for the Western, Charleston, or. Hatteras grounds in pur- 

 suit of sperm whales, and usually return home in September. Another favorite ground is around 

 the Cape Verde Islands, where these vessels cruise near the shore for the humpback during 

 the winter months and then go north to the sperm whale grounds." 



In 1879 humpback whales were abundant on the coast of Maine. One of the most successful 

 whalers out of Provincetown that season was the Brilliant, an old pink-stern schooner of 17 tons, 

 which hunted this species off Deer Isle, Maine. Up to October 1 she had taken four whales, yield- 

 ing one hundred and fifty-five barrels. The Brilliant carried but one whale-boat, and tried out the 

 oil on shore, towing in the whales as they were killed. Capt. J. W. Collins reports that on May 

 17, 1877, when in latitude 44 16' north, longitude 58 59' west, he noticed an unusual number 

 of whales and porpoises. "There were more humpback whales than I had even before seen in 

 that locality ; appeared to be entirely fearless of the vessel; played around her all day, sometimes 

 coming up alongside within 15 or 20 feet, their heads out of water 10 or 12 feet. At other times 

 they would lie on top of the water and lash it into snowy foam with their long, flexible fins." 



In the Pacific Ocean humpbacks are taken all along the coast of Ecuador and Colombia, from 

 Guayaquil to the Bay of Panama and on reefs around the islands of the Friendly Group, also 

 occasionally around the New Hebrides and the Fiji Group. They are also found in considerable 

 abundance around the Rosemary Islands, on the northwest coast of Australia, and around Bramp- 

 ton Shoals. The best grounds on the South American coast are in the Gulf of Guayaquil, which 

 lies in about latitude 3 south, and from here along the shore to the north as far as 3 north lati- 

 tude, off the villages of Tacaroes and Esmaraldas, in Ecuador. Ships occasionally anchor and send 

 out their boat for the whales, that must as a rule be killed in shoal water, as most of them sink and 

 must be hauled up. The season for whaling on this coast is from February to August, beginning 

 at Esinaraldas in February, and working along south until, in June, the whales appear at the Gulf 

 of Guayaquil, and continue until August. The season on the Australian coast and around the 

 Western Pacific group of islands begins about the 1st of June and continues into November and 

 December. 



Humpback whales are taken along the coast of California at the shore-whaling stations, 

 especially at Monterey Bay. They are also seen and captured at Magdalena and Balenas Bays. 

 In many bays and around islands in the Alaskan territory and the Aleutian Islands they are 

 taken by the Indians and the Eskimos. 



