Velociworld

A Fish Tale

Most people are aware of the Shackleton expedition to cross Antarctica, 1914-1917, I assume. Disastrous, in that their vessel, the Endurance, became trapped in sheet ice, and eventually sank, and yet miraculous, in that Shackleton took one smallboat 800 miles from Elephant Island to the whaling station at South Georgia Island to reach rescuers in the most treacherous seas in the world.

My favorite part of the saga? When the killer whales would track the men from underneath the ice, thinking they were seals, and would burst through the ice in an attempt to nab them. Lookit:

Another perceived problem was the killer whales. Spotting a seal, the creatures would dive to great depths and then smash through the ice, seizing the seal in it's mouth. The expedition found a hole 25 feet in diameter that had been created by a killer whale. As photographer Frank Hurley took a dog team over the thin ice, he would hear whales blowing behind him. He would quickly dash for solid, thick ice with "No need to shout 'mush' and swing the lash. The whip of terror had cracked over their heads and they flew before it. The whales behind...broke through the thin ice as though it were tissue paper, and, I fancy, were so staggered by the strange sight that met their eyes, that for a moment they hesitated. Had they gone ahead and attacked us in front, our chances of escape would have been slim indeed...Never in my life have I looked upon more loathsome creatures".

Now that is fishing, my friends. And, yes, I know a whale is a mammal, but what's a fish tale without a little exaggeration?

Posted by Velociman at June 19, 2004 10:28 PM