THE LAST PHASE OF WHALING 295 



In 1911 a local company African Whales, Ltd. 

 was founded, in Park Rynie between Durban 

 and Port Shepstone, and proposals were afoot for 

 the formation of another company the Durban 

 Whaling Company, Ltd. at Durban. Early in 

 1912 there were four whaling companies in Durban, 

 with fifteen whaling steamers. The chief species 

 of whales off the Natal coast are the Humpback 

 (Megaptera doops), the Western Right Whale 

 (Bal&na australis), the Blue Whale, the Rorqual 

 or Sei Whale and the Sperm Whale. Of these the 

 Humpback is the commonest, the other four being 

 much scarcer. 



The yield of the Natal whalers was : 



1908 106 whales (including 104 Humpbacks). 



1909 155 149 



1910 3d8 whales. 



Up to this time whaling had been carried on near 

 the coast where the whales are found in the winter 

 months, from the middle of June to the middle of 

 November, and in the first two years with two, and 

 in 1910 with four steamers. In summer the whales 

 forsake the coast and seek colder waters. It is 

 reported that they are now getting more and more 

 shy and difficult to approach. There is a distinct 

 tendency on the part of the whales to abandon the 

 coast altogether, so that floating factories are 

 coming more into favour. 



Whaling in Natal was in 1912 subject to a 

 licence fee of fifty pounds per annum, this super- 

 seding the older tax of five pounds per whale 



