make little headway.1 The spout is not high, about eight to twelve feet, and
exactly like that emitted by the Finback, but on a smaller scale. In the sea this
species can be recognised at once by its relatively large and deeply hooked dorsal
fin, which is always a conspicuous object as it rolls over. The whalers think that
this species does not swim deeply when in pursuit of its food, as its course on a
still day can be marked by the line of bubbles which come to the surface. In
the water it appears darker in colour and more active in movement than any of
the large Whales.
Rudolphi’s Rorqual seems to feed exclusively on small crustaceans, such as
Euphausia inermis, Calanus finmarchicus, and Temora longicornis?
All the whalers are agreed that Rudolphi’s Rorqual when struck by the
harpoon can rush out the line at a greater speed (for a short distance) than any
other Whale; captains have told me that they have estimated this pace at twenty
knots. Its strength, however, bears no comparison with that of the great Whales,
so that after a course of a mile it rapidly gives in when the engines of the
steamer are reversed. In its dying struggles, however, it is very active and
somewhat dangerous, often striking the boats and the steamer, denting the plates
or breaking the propeller. The abundance or scarcity of this species in home or
foreign waters must not be estimated by the numbers killed, for the whalers
seldom fire at Rudolphi’s Rorqual when larger game is about. During the past
year, however, the value of the baleen has risen considerably, so that it is now
worth while to hunt this Whale. 1 *3
1 I watched a Whale of this species moving up against the strong eight-knot tide that runs through the narrows between
Unst and Yell. It kept reappearing every fifty yards, blowing twice and going down again; and only thus made its way out
to sea after over an hour’s hard fighting against the current.
3 These two last-named Copepods are like fine sawdust. They are called by the Norwegians Aate, and by the
Newfoundlanders Swamps.