Whaling in Cook Strait

Whaling in Cook Strait

This National Film Unit newsreel from 1950 follows the Peranos, of the Tory Channel whaling station, as they capture a whale. The clip begins with the gunner about to fire the deadly harpoon. Later the crew pump compressed gas into the carcass to prevent it from sinking. They then towed the whale ashore, and carved a notch in the lookout chair to record the catch. In 1950 the Peranos killed 79 whales.