“Irregular” Movements.

A number of observations which cannot be fitted into the migration pattern will be discussed under this heading. During January, February and March there have been reports of solitary humpbacks or pairs between North Cape and East Cape (17 reports), near Castlepoint (four reports), from Cook Strait (eight reports), and near Kaikoura (four reports). The only “out of season” concentration of humpbacks observed regularly has occurred during March on five successive years about 12 miles east of the Waitaki River mouth—i.e., in the Canterbury Bight. In the five years 1949–53, Captain J. Black of the “Taiaroa” recorded whales in this month, the earliest being on March 4, 1950, when about 12 humpbacks were seen cruising about.

Approximately six to 20 or more were seen on each day's fishing in the area until the beginning of April, so presumably it was a group which remained in the same area for about four weeks. His description and that of his crew left no doubt that the whales were humpbacks, and all the crew described the whales as moving about slowly in a small area feeding. During this month fish were especially abundant and all full of “small, clear shrimps with prominent eyes”, so the feed was evidently not Munida.

A concentration for a shorter period during 1954 was reported by Mr. C. Mark, of the “Waikawa”, who encountered four humpbacks between Whale Island (Bay of Plenty) and Cape Runaway on the morning of March 28, and then 17 more, including one calf, later in the day. All were cruising about slowly, and some at times lay on their sides with a flipper out of the sea. When back in the area on April 8, Mr. Mark encountered five humpbacks at the same position, but they appeared to be moving in a northerly direction at this date. Later in the month Mr. G. Mark, of the “Aorangi”. encountered a number of humpbacks feeding about four miles N. N.E. of Whale Isand. The school was noted first on April 27 and was still present on April 30. On both dates the whales were “apparently feeding on the large amount of anchovies that were on the surface”. On May 1 only three humpbacks were seen, but on May 6, 7 and 8 there was an association of seabird flocks, and many (i.e., more than 20) humpbacks apparently feeding on small fish. Mr. Mark stated that “they are definitely found to be feeding amongst the large groups of birds which are feeding on ‘anchovies’ which come to the surface in millions. When the whale reaches the surface I have seen these anchovies all bounce off the backs of the whales. The birds do not have to dive for the feed as it is on the surface, and the whales take the fish on the surface—just plough round