Pelorus Jack
Pelorus Jack was a round-headed dolphin known for regularly following steamers through the Cook Strait between the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand .
history
The Pelorus Jack was first sighted around 1888 when it appeared in front of the schooner Brindle , which was just crossing the French Pass . Jack stood out because of his bright coloring and the white head and there were no other similar animals in the area except him. He appeared regularly from that first time on when ships from Admiralty Bay and Pelorus Sound sailed into Cook Strait. This route was dangerous for shipping due to shallows , treacherous currents, wild water eddies and underwater rocks; there were no accidents when Pelorus Jack was present. This quickly made Jack a good luck charm; it seemed as if he was guiding the ships through the dangerous road, and he usually stayed with one ship for about 20 minutes. Sometimes the boatmen were waiting for him when they pulled into the street.
In this way, Pelorus Jack became known to all seafarers and also to the local population. When in 1903 a drunk passenger from the steamer Penguin shot the dolphin and injured him on the fin , the only force that could be used to prevent the crew from lynching the shooter was by force. The dolphin did not show up for two weeks and it was feared that he was dead. In New Zealand, on September 26, 1904, the Sea Fisheries Act was passed, which put Pelorus Jack under protection. It was probably the first individual soul being protected by law. According to legend, however, he is said to have never helped the penguin since that incident. Without the help of the friendly animal, the Penguin was shipwrecked in the passage.
The last sighting took place in April 1912, after which it disappeared without a trace, and numerous rumors of its disappearance surfaced.
In his honor, grateful sailors, passengers and shipowners erected a statue on a Wellington beach listing Jack's tremendous achievements.
Characteristics of Pelorus Jack
The gender of Pelorus Jack is unknown. The round-headed dolphin was identified by analyzing images.
Further references
About two decades after Pelorus Jack's disappearance, it became the subject of a nursery rhyme . A chocolate brand was named after him. The shipping company Interislander uses Pelorus Jack in their logo.
literature
- James Cowan : Pelorus Jack . Christchurch 1911
- Antony Alpers: A book of Dolphins . 1960, German edition: Delphine, Wunderkinder des Meeres, Munich 1966 (dtv).
- Antony Alpers: Dolphins . 1963
- Ross E. Hutchins (text), Jerome P. Connolly (illustrations): The saga of Pelorus Jack . Rand McNally , Chicago, Ill. 1971 (children's book).
- Viktor Farkas : Puzzling Realities. From the archives of the inexplicable . Edition Kopp, Rottenburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-938516-43-0 .
Web links
- Pelorus Jack Fact Sheet at the Museum of Wellington (English, PDF file)
- The Quest for Pelorus (English, PDF file)
Individual references and sources
- ↑ a b c Pelorus Jack In: Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved August 30, 2010
- ^ The New Zealand Maritime Record , accessed August 30, 2010