The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-09
TAME OCEAN FISHES.
WHALES AND PROPOSES ARE SOME
TIMES PAINFULLY sOCIABLE.

Good Natured Bob, an Acquaintance on the
Florida Coast-some Interesting Expert
ences With Whales In the Pacific Ocean.
Travellers up and down the coast of
Florida will remember a certain Dor
poise that for years, and up to 1881 in
the remembrance of the writer. paraded
up and down quarter section Of the
Florida peninsula. He was known as
Bob. and though he rarely answered to
his name he was well known to all sail
ors in those parts Bob was recognized
by peculiar cut in his dorsal fin, Civ
ing 1T the appearance Of having a win
dow in it, Some thoughtless passenger.
wishing to practice on all animate ma
ture with his revolver, had inflicted this
injury, and the porpoise apparently was
very proud of it. In any event, it was
exhibited at every opportunity to the
occupants of passing vessels. 1t would
come near the vessel. follow it at times
or gambol about the bow or stern, but
@'o NAttNA ppoitiOh was dDOub IOO JdIuS
away, within good rife shot, where it
would swim along parallel with the
course OF the vessel, tempting target
to marksmen. So in the course of time
Bob's back became scared and Scared,
and If current report was valued at any
thing he carried in his blubber not
few ounces of lead-forcible reminders
that porpoises as well as alligators have
no rights that are respected ON the Flor
ida coast.
In the Pacific some whales are very
friendly, especially off the coast of Los
Angeles county, Cal, where On more
than one occasion they have astonished
if not alarmed sailing parties who have
been becalmed. These whales, it should
be said, are perfectly harmless, and
their attentions are merely from curiosi-
ty. but to have several of these huge
creatures from 40 to co feet long float
ing about in close proximity is not alto
gether pleasant. What is supposed to be
the same whale has earned a reputa-
ton for friendliness, and during the
summer months it frequently seems to
meet large steamer that plies of
shore, and either follows it along or
plays about, entertaining the passen-
gers by spouting. On one trip the whale
placed itself ahead of the steamer and
swan with it so deliberately that the
captain was obliged to slow down and
finally stop, fearing to run into the huge
creature.
Perhaps the most remarkable instance
of friendliness ON the part of whales
was experienced by the owner Of yacht
that sailed from one of the southern
California ports. She became becalmed
the second day out, and suddenly four
or five large whales came alongside and
for several hours amused themselves at
the expense of the crew, who were a
good deal frightened. They rubbed their
backs against the bottom Of the yacht
and blew and spouted so that the drops
fell upon the decks If the yachtsmen
had thrown over some oil or other dis
agreeable fluid, they would soon have
gotten rid of these companions, which
only left them when breeze sprang up
and they got under way.
Fishermen OH the Atlantic coast are
occasionally troubled with inquisitive
whales. One boat or dory was followed
for miles, the whale once gently lifting
it and rising beneath it, terrorizing the
fisherman, who pulled for the shore as
fast as he could, the whale following
until the water began to shoal.
Why whales should follow vessels
might seem mystery, but the solution
is that in all probability they consider
the vessel a companion, another whale
of some kind. This was we'll illustrated
on the California coast by a whale
which evidently took the ship Plymouth
for one of its kind. This whale was a
sulphur bottom, about 90 feet in length,
and it Joined the ship off the Golden
Gate as it left San Francisco and re-
manned by it through the entire voyage
to Realejo, South America. The big
fish soon became nuisance. 1t swan
alongside in such close proximity that
its breath discolored the paint of the
ship. Then it would rise gently beneath
the keel, which would cut and tear it
At other times it would swim along di-
rectly in front and keep the crew III
constant fear of collision that might
under certain circumstances dismast the
ship. The men tried almost every device
they could think of to drive the whale
away They shot at it with rifles and
pistols, struck it with pieces Of wood
and bombarded it with bottles and hot
Goals as it came up, but all to no pur-
pose. 1t went on keeping company
until the ship finally entered such shoal
water that it was obliged to sheer off.
The sociability of dolphins and por-
poises is well known, their graceful
gambols about the PROV of vessels being
a very common sight. No matter how
rapid the pace, these attractive creatures
so time their motions that they pass and
repass the flying cutwater with the
greatest ease.
The close proximity of such large ami
mails to vessels might suggest possible
danger, yet fatalities are rare and few
are known where the whale has not
been attacked The terrible incident OF
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