SHORE-WHALING: A WORLD INDUSTRY 



431 



STRIPPING THK ELESH PROM THE SKELETON OP A GIANT PlNBACK WHALE ' JAPAN 



latter species, but it can be readily dis- 

 tinguished by its high, falcate dorsal fin. 



The sei whale has a habit of swim- 

 ming just below the surface, sometimes 

 with the dorsal fin exposed, and when 

 feeding will travel for a considerable 

 distance in this manner. It is a difficult 

 whale to shoot, because the back is 

 arched but slightly when the animal 

 dives and only a comparatively small 

 part of its body is shown above the water 

 at one time. I have seen a sardine whale, 

 rising almost under the bows of a ship, 

 suddenly check its upward rush and dash 

 along just below the surface, the vessel 

 going at full speed beside it in order to 

 be within range when it finally rose to 

 spout (see pages 420 and 421). 



It is most interesting to watch these 



beautiful animals pursuing a school of 

 sardines, twisting their lithe bodies as 

 they whirl along after the terrified, skip- 

 ping fish, sometimes throwing themselves 

 half out of the water in their eagerness. 

 But, like the other finners, they will al- 

 ways eat shrimp, if it is obtainable, in 

 preference to anything else. 



WHALES ARE DEVOTED TO THEIR CALVES 



All the large whales show great affec- 

 tion for their young, and the cows and 

 calves will seldom leave each other when 

 pursued by a ship. I remember at one 

 time in Alaska, on board the steamship 

 Tyee, Jr., we had sighted a female fin- 

 back with a young one about 30 feet 

 long beside her. They were not difficult 

 to approach, and as the old whale rose 



