Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-28
PiEsALD TERROR OF ANTARCTIC.
Fantastic Stories of Killed Whales
Habit Supported b. Captain SCOTS
Narrative.

Habit Supported b. Captain SCOTS
Narrative.
In tho narrative published by the
first national Antarctic expedition I'M
der The late Captain Scott references
were made to the extraordinary feroc-
ity and curious habits of the killer
whale huge piebald blubber- covered
monster that is the terror of the Ant
arctic seas. For Ernest Shackletou. in
deed, made the astonishing statement
hat q killer whale had attempted to
tlp some OF his men off piece of foe.
This seems ut first hearing to be fan
tastie Travellers tale, but it is evident
from Captain SCOTS latest narrative.
iast published, that this huge beast has
the acuteness to perceive that he can
roll his prey off the ice into the sea,
where is usually able to capture and
eat it. There is evidently no doubt that
the killer whale does introduce his
huge bulk under mass Of floating lee
and attempt to roll his prey into the
Water The killer whale has evidently
Eracticed this trick with innumerable
seals VINO have endeaVored to escape
his huge jaws, and finding some men
in a similar position to the seals he
attempted TO catch them by similar
device.
The killer is usually some II feet in
length. 1t hunts in packs of a dozen or
I seCre, or sometimes many scores. The
Killer whale has been seen in McMur-
do Sound from the middle of Septem-
Der TO the end of March, and the
scars chat they left on the seals, more
particularly on the erab-eating seal
pf the pack ice. afforded abundant tes-
t.mong to their vicious habits. Not eae
il five # tie paei<-iee seals vas Fl e
rom The marks of the killers teeth,
and even the sea leopard, which is the
most powerful seal e the Antarctic,
was found with fearful decorations
Only The Weddell seal was moro or less
secure because it avoids the OPEN sea.
Living as it Goes quite close inshere
breeding in bights and bays on fast ice
s9me 10 or q miles from the open
water. il thus avoids the attacks of
the Killer tc Il large extent
In the National Antarctic EXpedi-
ton volumes on the zoology of the
Antarctic the following details of the
killer whales life and habits are given.
Tie account mentions that rents on
seals are exceedingly common, beta as
recently inflicted wounds and as mand-
ed sears. and which live hahituaily
on the pack ice of the open sea An
ola L.cbodon is but rarely tn he found
without some sears upon his @ at. and
n idea of tae extensive character of
= me of these wounds is conveyed by n
figure taken from scars on one OF the
skins in the expeditions collections.
@Penguins also, the account COLI
tinues in all probability pay heavy
toll - these maurauding bands, and
from the excessive hurry in which they
4re often seen to leave the water when
herd of killers is in sight it IS evident
that they know their danger sufficient
" well. Moreover. the repugnanee they
show to re-entering the water efen
when chased by men or dogs upon the
lee is an additional proof that they
Know quite well where their customary
danger les and they feel it is safer 10
tackle an unknown and novel risk on
the ice than To face what they know
t. be a certain danger in the water.
@Waddelrs seals IRE by no means 50
liberailE Scared By the killers teeth as
are the crabeaters and this results
from the fact that they remain almost
always some miles on the safer side
Of the ice edge and as far as possible
frcm the open water. Here Trey are
comfortably clear of the killer whales,
which keep to the breaking edge OF
the fast ice and the more or less open
water OF the pack. The killer is
heard to blow and the spout is seen
before the snout comes out Of the
wafer. They are generally moving
at a rapid rate. and as rule the
whole head and back and dorsal fin
come clear out Of the water after
blowing at every rise. They have the
same habit Of swimming in close
proximity side by side chat we have
noticed also in the rorqual They
may be travelling at very fast rate,
vet the pace is 50 uniform IN each in
diHidual that they appear 70 be fast
ened one to the other, each half
length in advance of its companion.
Constantly appearing and disappear
ing in this manner, they give the idea
Of a single animal with two dorsal
fins unless, indeed they are so close
that they can he separately distin-
euished Perhaps the young and the
mother thus find an easy way of
avoiding separation whilst making a
passage from one district to another
-Gubare