Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-09-03
Sea Fights.
TERRIBLE BATTLES THAT ARE
WAGED BETWEEN OCEAN
MONSTERS.
BY j. CARTER BEARD.

desperate struggles between large
fishes. The writer once saw q battle
between man-eater shark and q
huge loggerhead turtle. The shark
had stolen quietly upon the turtle
when 1T was asleep floating on the
surface, and with one bite had un-
doubtedly severed fipper, literally
tearing it i'm threads. The turtle
turned, and after the manner of its
kind, breathed heavily, then essayed
to dive; but the shark held il at the
surface, tearing at the flesh.
Suddenly, the turtle disappeared ;
it evidently tore away from the
shark and bounded Off; but that fe-
rocious brute, the bull dog of the sea,
followed closely, and soon had caught
it again, the two apparently rolling
over in the water. When the boat
was pulled alongside the combatants,
it was evident that the shark had
caught tartar. The man. eater had
seized the turtle, which was the larg-
est size, by the other fipper, aud the
turtle mad nipped his enemy by the
side fin and ferocious struggle en-
sued.
| have known one of these turtles
to hold on to an oar all day, hence
expected that the battle would be a
long one. The shark stolidly held
fast to his prey and evidently not
able to bite the fiipper vainly at
tempted TO carry the big animal be-
low the surface. Occasionally it
would make desperate effort and
plunge down, exposing its huge,
gray body for a moment, reaching
three or four feet, when the turtle
would bring 1t to the surface again,
where the two would toss about,
beating the water into foam.
Finally the shark tore away and
the turtle disappeared. We saw it
come up long distance away, and q
violent splashing told that its enemy
or another of its kind had continued
the attack. When we reached it
again, the pursuer had disappeared
and the turtle lay on the surface.
We put peg into its shell and
towed it in, finding its four fippers
cut evenly away, so the poor creature
was perfectly helpless.
In this locality the sharks came
into that water at night to feed,
in all probability, upon craw fish,
sea cucumbers, and other dainties,
and at such times they waged war
upon the big rays that also affected
the shallow lagoons. On still nights,
when the wind had entirely gone
down, a sudden and violent rush of
water would be heard, then a re-
sounding crash, followed by a fiut-
tering along the surface, as though
some great bird was beating the wa
ter with its wings.
The roar of sounds meant a con-
fiict between a shark and the great
ray or devil-fish, that has a spread
of fifteen or eighteen feet. The raw
is black; with the curious claspers
at its head and long projecting side
fins which move up and down like
wings. These the sharks attack.
and fins have been seen with enor-
nous pieces torn out, while the gle
ant fish often succumbs to the on
slaught of the man-eater.
Sharks themselves, occasionally en-
gage in vigorous and sanguinary
encounters, while turtles, especially
the big bull loggerheads, wage war
fare against their kind.
Among the fishes, the sword fish
is undoubtedly the most pugnacious,
remarkable duels occurring between
these swordsmen of the sea. In one
observed by an acquaintance of the
writer, the fish were first noticed
leaping into the air, undoubtedly the
result OF a false aim, or one had
avoided the lunge and shot out of
the water. They appeared to swim
around in circles and suddenly
charge. The shock must have been
terrific, as one of the fishes was al
most thrown out of the water, and
the blow was afterwards found to
have been delivered just below the
eye, and to have glanced off. The
thrust undoubtedly demoralized the
swordsman, as 1t was seen to swim
away; then came terrific rush
along the surface as the enemy came
on again, and in few moments the
fish was struggling at the surface and
in short time was picked up dead,
having a wound upon the head-a
glancing shot, while two other sta bs
were made by the sword of its op-
pOnent, which had gone through 1t
as easily as through paper.
Of all the combats of the sea those
between rival whales are most ave.
inspiring and the spectacle of these
monsters of the deep crashing into
each other is one to be remembered.
That terrific battles are waged be-
tween whales and sword fish there Is
little doubt, and it is a prevalent be-
lief among whalers and followers of
the sea that the swivel-tail shark is
also a party to these contests, hut
which is denied, as a rule, by natu-
ralists. The story is that the sword
fish and long-tailed shark have an en-
nifty of long standing against the
whale and that they attack 1t to-
gether. The sword-fish piercing 1t
from below, and as the whale leaps
from the water the shark follows it,
belaboring the big cetacean with
powerful blows of the knife-Iike
tail. This tale is repeatedly told.
but the shark part of it Is received
by many with reservation.
That there is often a fight to the
death between whales and sword fish
there is no doubt. The writer has
heard Of one instance In which de-
spite the whales rushes and blows at
the agile animal with its tail the
sword-fish lunged its keen weapon
into it time and again. until finally,
the whale was killed and was blown
ashore, where it constituted an at
traction that brought people from
the country for miles around. The
sWord-tish were seen by close OBJ
lnnA II a -