SHORE-WHALING: A WORLD INDUSTRY 



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BRINGING IN A HUMPBACK '. JAPAN 

 This is not a propeller, but the whale's tail 



backs, and in fact almost all the large 

 whales, bear numbers of crab-like crus- 

 taceans (Cyamus), about half an inch in 

 length, called "whale lice." On the right 

 whales these "lice" produce such an irri- 

 tation upon the top of the snout that a 

 large, irregular roughened patch, called 

 the "bonnet," is formed; on the side of 

 the lip and over the eyes are other and 

 smaller patches infested with the trou- 

 blesome crustaceans. 



The most playful of all our large 

 whales are the humpbacks, and conse- 

 quently they are the most interesting to 



the photographer. Jumping or "breach- 

 ing" is one of their most spectacular 

 performances, and it is truly a wonderful 

 sight. The first time I ever saw a hump- 

 back "breach" was off the Vancouver 

 Island coast while on board the ship 

 Orion. We had sighted a lone bull 

 whale late in the afternoon, and for two 

 hours the little ship had been hanging 

 doggedly to the chase. 



The whale seemed to know exactly the 

 number of fathoms at which the harpoon 

 gun was effective and gauged the dis- 

 tance accurately, always coming up just 



