The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-22
SEA MONSTERS FIGHT.
Fierce Oceanic Struggles in Which Orca
and Whales Sometimes Engage.

Fierce Oceanic Struggles in Which Orcas
and Whales Sometimes Engage.
Hank Welsh who has followed whaling for
many years, was lucky enough to be one of a
crew beyond tho Gulf of the Holy Cross last
Spring hat came upon q large whale in dis
tress, surrounded by three monster orcas or
billers, which had him winded and badly
wounded. The story was thus told to San
Francisco Chronicle man by Welsh:
I'VE saw big broadhead half mile away
to windward, and he kept a,jumping SO hard
that we knew he was in trouble. When we got
closer we SAW some thrashers or billers afoul Of
him. and the water for an acre or two around
was bloody. The orcas were pretty big ones
and vicious, especially one which was fully 20
feet long, aud when the whale went down a
few fathoms this old boy rushed down after
him and gave it to him hard. You see, whale
can stay under about half an hour and he can
go down 400 or 500 fathoms without minding
the pressure, but he can't do single submarine
trick ahead of an Orca.
"These orcas sometimes chase a whale so
hard that when he hits bottom he breaks his
jawbone. Well, this old Orca followed the whale
80 savageiy that he did not stay down over five
minutes at time. and when he came up he was
jumped by the other two, which kept watch on
him like two hungry wolves. When he saw the
ferocious gang he seemed to lose heart for they
were too quick for him. ! think be was Just
about worn out or downhearted or something,
for he anchored for second. This gave the
big one a chance to slide up and catch him by
the under lip and bite piece out. The old
fellow lashed and diyed, but down went another
orca after him. 1+.
When the whal 10 came up the orca had him
by the lip. and the third one caught him by the
tongue Now, single whales tongue is six
feet long and weighs as much as a man. The
way the orcas .jerked it all out of him piece by
piece and then ate of his lower lip in spite of
all he could do beat all the fights under the sun.
How that whale did suffer until we got mp and
let dynamite bomb into him. When Bill
Peters lanced him be seemed to enjoy it, for he
turned over and died easily"
1t seems to be agreed among all whalers that
no tight ever seen equals the awful combats
which the sea monsters wage against one an
other with unflagging ferocity. The orca is the
only grampus m-blooded animal of the
ocean that constantly preys upon other warm
blooded creatures OF his own kind, preferably
the whale, the largest Of his species. The
orca's habits are predatory, and his strength
and terocity are reRarkable.
The orcas often travel with swordfsh"
said Capt. Thompson, an old whaler, land I
have sometimes seen whole school in combat
with four or five orcss and few swordfish.,
When the swordfish gets under a whale and
the Orcas commence to tear his under lip and
tongue, which are choice morseis for them, he
seems to know his days are bered. don't
know how long a whale can live after these
savage creatures attack him, but our crews
have found several carcasses of whales which
bled to death from the wounds thus inflicted
by their enemies. / have also seen broken
backed orcas which have been struck by
whales fukesu