Whales pay back

South West Pacific. Fishing grounds by Papua New Guinea, Island of New Ireland. Ocean surface is deep turquoise. Sun rays penetrating deep in the water and concentrating in light dot down about forty feet or so. From time to time crazy running fish break these nature artworks. Lazy, long, wide waves, gently rising from depths, carry something hypnotic in them. Day is humid, hot, no wind, sea is
like oil in the bottle-calm.

Behind horizon, light, almost invisible track of smoke appeared where no land was. After a while, behind curvature of the Earth dark speck shows up. After a while crows nest of large tuna clipper –fishing boat become visible. Two hours after that whole ship was visible. Hull was Clipper blue, house a mid ship bright white, and mast and boom, and two cargo booms where black. Clipper bow sliced ocean with
grace and water was flipping in white foam on both sides. Stainless still cutting edge was shined of relentless flow of sea.

On the stern of the big vessel was large skiff suspended on skids by the cable connected to the mast and on skiff to the fast release hook, powered by eight cylinders CAT. To the bow of the skiff connected were lines and cables leading to the cork and chain of huge tuna net. When launched net will make circle
almost one mile in circumference.
On the top of the mast in crows nest was captain on large binoculars. Above him on the roof, were 90 miles “bird” radar. Almost twenty feet down under navigational radar, were “half mast “, place as balcony, no roof and much closer to the two stacks from main engines. There were deck boss and coffiero on another pair of binoculars.

In front of the Pilot house windows was bridge with two large binoculars. Two wooden benches were for crew to seat, while waiting to relieve two fishermen on binoculars. Only heat relief was from shipmotion, and in days such as this, it was most popular place. On Port side of the bridge was wing controls for throttle and steering in use while making set on school of fish.
“Pikieros, five to port!”
After a while comes command from crows nest: “Five to Port”.
Navigator inside bridge tried to locate birds on radar and soon he call to the Crows nest:” I got them, half hour till we arrive”
Deck boss get down from half mast and once again inspected cable, skiff man and his assistant inspected skiff.
“Stand by”
Engineers started hydraulics for winch, and bow thruster, skiff man and assistant were in the skiff. Skiff man on the controls, while assistant on the bow holds the fast release- trigger line.
Some electricity, excitement was in the air.
“There she blows, straight ahead, there she blows!” coffiero was calling.
“Hey whale is there, must be lots of bait, and if that so we might start earning our money, where is the whale must be a fish. If you see fine foomer it is skip jack but if you see splashes then is yellow fin. They both from same family but skip jack newer goes as large as tuna.” Old timers were explaining facts of life to two greenhorns.
“Stand by, Stand by”
“Five left”
“Five left”
“Slow down”
“Ahead, slow”
“Five left”
“Ten left”
“Steady as she goes”
“Five left”
“Steady as she goes”
“Stop, dammed, where did it go? “
In distance whale blow, show tail and disappeared. After a good five minutes surface broke and huge mouth opens straight in the air. Birds-pikieros were falling all around the whale swallowing bait traumatized by whale attack.
“Slow ahead, five to port”
“Steady as she goes”.
“Stand by, stand by- let it go, mola, mola, mola”
Assistant skiff man pull fast release, skiff slide down the skids and just before touching water big CAT was already belching black smoke.
“Full astern skiff, pull, pull, damn you, cant you pull stronger?”
“Speed boat in the water, speed boat in the water”
Speed boat man was in his boat since letting skiff go and waiting on his opportunity in action. Speed boat was rapidly sliding on the starboard side, hanging on the cable and quick release. Trick was to hit the water, having engine running at just right speed ahead, to boat sail same speed of the mother ship, steering to the right at just right angle so when speed boat is free and hit the water , turn toward the stern, jump over the cork in the net and scare fish in already closed part of the net.
Skiff stern dig deep and almost rooster tail of water shows. Assistant was letting lines from the bow go and skiff man- turns the skiff for 180 degrees. Now two vessels were pulling in opposite directions.
“Three quarter speed, what sonar says? Left, left, more left, full speed ahead, left more left half speed, slow down, and steady as she goes. Stop. Full a stern! Get that line on the bow, hurry, hurry, we don’t have all day, pass the line down, on the winch, deck boss; get the orca, faster, faster. God job, winch man pull in, slow, slow, let the hook pass by, god job, you down on cork line transfer line to the cork line capstan and pull- good, good enough”
Captain was hanging almost falling out through window, instinctively trying to see all at same time.
“Get the stern line on the davit’s hook, winch man, tira, tira, full speed, they in, they in, must be at least two hundred tons. Tuna and Skippy’s. Come on boys, here is our money in the bag. Pull, pull, and dam this winch, I can pull faster by my hands. Hey don’t smoke out, ok, slow, slow, slower, and easy”
“What was that, oh my god we got the whale in the net. “
Crew all over the vessel lined up on the port side and watched whale rolling slowly and blowing.
They all knew possible results: loss of the net and dead whale, loss of the net and wounded whale or free the whale some how and catch the fish. No body knew, no body donned, how to free whale from the net it was million dollars question.
More and more cable was winched in and crew start to gather on the stern deck. This was slowest part of the set. Winch and winch man was in action. Rest of the crew was idle.
“Jump, jump, they will escape through the doors under the ship.”
One by one crew was jumping in the sea at port side barely missing wide spread cables. Point was to make so much splash and noise to tuna attempting to run, turn’s back and stay.
“One by one, where are my people? It’s no body on the deck? Cook, jump cook, assistant engineer jump, jump you too, it’s our money”
“Hey you guys hurry up this side and jump again “
Helicopter pilot, that was in the air for all this time, (it was veteran Bell 47), flying low over the water do his part in keeping fish in the net. There was a trick: as pilot watch fish, must at same time estimate height of the waves, fly up or down, left or right. If he make mistake pontoon will hit the wave and helicopter will flip on the side. This was deadly game, ultimate money making game. Finally ordered to
he landed on the hely pad on roof of the pilot house.
Deck boss and skipper were ready with cable sling. Soon rings from bottom of the purse seine net were visible and emerging from depth beside of the vessel now laying dead in the water. Winch men further slow down the hydraulics of the winch. Rings are creeping closer to the surface.
“Some more, some more”
Rings touched huge pulleys on the davit .From each ring two chains were hanging straight down to the chain mended for the lower side of the net.
“Two, I need two in the water”
At same time skiff was moving to the starboard side and tow cable was passed over to them. Slowly, they moved ninety degrees to starboard and hold the ship just enough not to drift over the net. Two fisherman jump over the side and were drifting by the chain waiting on cable sling to be passed and slide down the rings. This was dangerous. With so many fish in the net, if something goes wrong sinking chain easy can kill somebody, or cut the limb. It was no tolerance for mistake. Finally sling slide and splash on the surface. Two fishermen in the water come to and holding for ring chain clambered on sling. Jumping, moving from side to side they pushed sling all to deeper and deeper.
“Tell the skiff to slow down, chain is opening too much”
“Skiff slow down, some more, OK”
Current was strong, net in the depth was caught in second current and was spreading chain.
“Two more man in the water, hurry up, hurry up.”
Sling all of a sudden surge upward and for a moment both man jump upward. Two more body’s splash in the water, and climb on the sling.
“Tell the skiff to stop”
“Jump, use your weight, jump some more, OK, winch pull, pull, watch your legs, pull, jump, jump, be careful, move your arms upward, jump, pull, pull some more, OK. We got it. It’s tight. You in the water, what you waiting for. This is not a pleasure cruise. Get on the deck.”
Crew climb by the stairs build in the side of the vessel on the deck. Winch man was rolling cable from drum to the drum of the winch until come to swivel. Swivel was there to allowed separation of cable.
Deck boss separate swivel and cable. On now free ends he connected cable sling that lead from double hook through special device called gun. Name come from its look-as anti aircraft gun. Controlled by hydraulics, it will raise up or drop down as winch man needed and in same time double will lift. Rings will then slide from cable trough them on gun. Once all rings were on the gun, sling was taken off the chain and pulled up on the deck. Inch and a one half rope were through the Puretich power block. It was shackled for triangular end of the net.
“OK, let’s roll”
Navigator now took over winch controls, crew scrambled on the net pile. Cork man and his assistant will stock cork in such way, to when net slide in the water, will not get tangled. In the middle of the net were two men their backs toward the winch, three men were on the stern side and chain man and assistant were on the chain and rings. That must to be done just right. If mistake was made and chain or
rings get fouled; it will cost them lots of mending and down time. Deck boss was tending to the rings and reconnecting cable from two drums for roll back on single drum. From the hook of the port side cargo boom line was spreading in two ways making triangle and somewhat protecting chain man and bow side
net man of flying rings. They have short time to stock the net, if for some reason net collapse, fish will start dying and sinking to the bottom of the net, making job more difficult and dangerous.
“Watch out, rolling”
Power block pull, and net start climb upward almost forty feet, pass through and start rolling steadily downwards. Deck boss set the triangle over net deck boundary so can be connected to winch cable again.
“Here we go, roll faster”
Black net was streaming over power block as waterfall. First was tiny mesh called twenty four. This will be for almost first third of the net. It was light and easy to stock, that is if was no wind.
It was steady work for next fifteen minutes, no problems, black mountain was grooving on the stern, yellow corks neat, chain flat and square , rings with Samson sling through all turned in same direction, as no turns in different directions was allowable.
“Skiff pull forty five on the stern, give me bow thruster to the right, more, more, OK”
Net on the stern was pulling ship in direction of the circle as skiff and bow thruster were holding it open.
“Faster power block, tighten the small tire to hold the net, OK.”
“Middle, middle buoy just floated through power block. “
Net was now getting thicker, twain was now on ,passing from 36 to 64, in ten more minutes if all is ok , bunch will emerge where net is strongest one. Free floating net was tightening and whale was kind swimming in tight circle. Out side net was other whale, floating just out of reach of the net.
“Let go bow line” helicopter pilot let go and net tighten further around the fish.
Now was bunch mesh coming on board and hydraulics of power block was straining under the weight.
“Watch out, tuna goes up, watch out”
Thick dark blood start dripping from power block as large fish was squeezed through small opening.
“You on the bow, watch out, head up there she goes. You dummy, sift the net, not left, right, more right.
There hold this together, let her slide down to your feet, now open and throw her out, hurry up, hurry up, I don’t have all day. Dammed my mama will do better, Ok, greenhorn, throw this garbage out. Be careful greenhorn, this thing falling from power block can slice you open or kill you if you lucky.”
Net was coming in, in steady roll, skiff was already making preparations for coming about.
“Skiff , come along side, take drums for fill up, we might need them”
Empty drums were passed in the skiff and two men were busy slinging them on their port side on such
way to water can be poured in to keep skiff in counterbalance with weight on his starboard side.
Whale was on the surface .Her dark body was laying motion less. Head was (just by the steps amid ship turned toward the ships bow while tail was by the stern , almost by the rudder. Animal was huge. Right fin was by her body captured between her and hull , left fin was between net and body. Whale lay motion less and only blow from blow hole were more rapid. Poor thing most likely didn’t know what happen to it, and what to do.
“Put the jocker on the stern net, pull in, some more, that’s it”
Skipper and deck boss stud on the side . Deck boss Peruvian and skipper look at each other.
“We don’t have enough power in power block, or in the double to pull the tail up. Baleen must be at least thirty forty tons, what we are going to do?”
“Whatever we do, can’t kill her, that’s bad luck, and by the way it’s against the law.”
“But how to get reed of her. Can’t lift her, cant kill her, if she dies, will rip the net, will lost the fish, and will be working for nothing for days.”
“Madre de Dios, Skipper what if she move and rip the net?”
“I don’t know, I have newer have one in the net, shit, I didn’t see to it was two of them, one was always down.”
“OK, all of you any ideas?”
Crew look at each other . In Adriatic sea where most of them come, was no such thing as whale.
No one knew how to deal with. Assistant engineer was on the deck and spoke up.
“Skipper, let me go in the water, we might succeed, but please do what I ask you ,OK?”
“Go to your engines, what do you know about?”
“Skipper, I was fisherman before, at least we might try, otherwise ….”
“OK , but if you get hurt I can’t help you”
“If I get hurt , most likely I won’t need help”
Assistant jump in the sea, swam to the cork. Whale was motion less. Loud blows at blow hole was all letting people know to she was alive. He swam closer. Huge eye, size of basketball , dark brown,followed him as he approached stranded animal. Through the water eerie sound of other whale was penetrating assistant body. Whale in the net cry out in deep rumbling sound heard under water and through hull of
the ship. People lined up on Port side . No body ewer seen such animal , except on TV. It was something eternal, awe struck, some crossed them self, others were silently praying.
Assistant touched whale, no motion. Touched again, no motion. Skin of the whale was soft as baby skin.
He come beside her and checks the fin.
“Skipper , I need you to loosen bow cork line.”
“Are you crazy? Weill lost the net if cork line brake “
“Just let the cork line slowly about six feet”
“Ok winch man ,six feet slowly”
Net loosen up and bow cork slide toward whale chin.
“Some more, bout three feet”
“Three feet”
Assistant was pushing cork down the whale chin. Big eye was following him. Feeling was almost as he can see the soul of the animal. Eerie feeling. If hair was not wet on his head it will sprung straight up.
“Oh my God, what did I get my self in to, if she moves all too slightly I am dead man.”]
He grabs for the left fin and this thing was huge, must be at least ten feet in it.
“I can’t lift this by my self, if I put the sling she will start trashing” Big eye was still on him. Something pass through his mind as flash, unconsciously , he put both hands under the huge flipper and try to lift.
“”Are you out of your mind, you can’t do that, move away, it going to kill you” bellowed skipper from the deck.
And then miracle happens. Whale almost as reading his mind move flipper. Slowly, gently he pushes some more straight up. Some kind of connection was made between two intelligent brains, but I can’t tell that to any body for risk of being called crazy. He scratched fin and whale lifted some more. Cork easily slide under and now flipper was free on the left side.
“Thanks God, he did it, he did it. If some body tell me about in the bar Ill call him Liar, my God I can’t believed”
“Let bow line go some more”
Assistant happy with first success now was by the huge chin. Blows were coming all to faster. Whale understood to this miniature human being attempting something to help her. He reached and put the hand under chin and scratched lightly. Humongous head move up. He pushed some more. Head rise some more. Some mutual understanding, something for those witnessing, unbelievable was happening in front of their very eyes.
“Let go cork line some more, she holding her head up, cork will slide down and under”
“Let go some more, more, some more, more, stop now”
Assistant push chin up, and whale responded, lifting huge mass. Eye almost human all this time was on the man. He felt as he can see in the depth of the whale’s soul. He knew he will not be hurt, and she knew she will be free soon. Cork, slide under the chin, more and more toward the fin, finally, almost half of the body was free. Whale was still without any motion. He removed his hand from the chin and huge head come slowly down and weight submerged cork. That was all he can do. If tail or other
flipper gets tangled in the net that will be end for whale, net and assistant.
He swam back few feet.
“Please go over, you are free, go swim, go, go” Assistant was praying silently. Whale in that moment put more weight on her head and start to sink head down. It was just as scuba divers go under, bend for ninety degrees and than straight legs up, weight and power of gravity did the rest. Whale inhaled one more time, tail went straight up. It was lumbering at least six feet above deck. And then…. Without
motion she slide in to the depth.
“Hurray, hurray, you did it, son of a bitch, we did it, I can’t believed, it’s gone. Get back on the deck, we must hurry now."
Few yards from the ship whale surfaced accompanied by the other smaller one; through the hull one can hear them sing song.
Crew snap to the work and soon brailing was done, net piled on the net pail, cable connected and pulled where needed.
Excited crew still didn’t believe their good luck. Assistant was on wet deck adjusting what needed, transferring water from hold to hold.
“Stand by”
“Half speed ahead”
“Stand by”
“Five left”
Life was good. Life was very good. Two hundred fifty tons of prime tuna and large skip jacks were in the cold water in last moments. In tropical waters honeycomb start to develop real fast, that’s decaying of fish meat and start tom produce ammonia and degradation are rapid.
“Steady as she goes, five left, speed boat in the water, steady, five left, more, steady as she goes”
All eyes were on the next school of fish. No body was thinking about the whale and spirits were high.
“Let go, let go”
Rumble on the stern. Skiff splash in the water, speed boat jump the cork and start making tight star
board circle’s , skiff was pulling, bellowing smoke.
“Fish is in, speed boat- move toward the skiff about twenty yards, left, left, more left, full speed, slow down, dead slow. Stop, full astern. Stop. Hurry guys, we got them, hurry”
Hydraulic was screaming, straining.
“Jump, damn it, jump, where is my people, jump, good , they turn away”
“Skipper look to our starboard” called Navigator.
On other side of the ship two whales big and smaller one were trashing on the surface, diving, jumping and flipping in the air, blowing, making ruckus. Crew was still with their mouth wide open. Whales were scaring large school back in the net.
“O Dio mio, Santa Maria of Guadalupe, Majko Bozja”, Spanish and Croatian language mixed with English.
People didn’t believe what they see. It must to be divine business. How otherwise explain what whales did.
Whales , split and smaller one submerged . After a while she blow bunch o bubbles under water just where stern triangle of the net were, and tuna turn back in the net.
This was going on all the way till rings closed. Fish was brailed in the holds and another three hundred tons were in cold water. Two sets and almost half load. If fishing and weather continue this way, they might go home faster than ewer before.
But for to day that was it. It was already after sunset. Skipper was on the stern deck with glass of Chivas.
Cook lighted BBQ, deck boss was splicing cable worn out in winching through the rings, ring men replaced rings, rest of the crew mended holes in the net, and all talking in same time.
“Did you see that?”
“I can’t even talk about in Port they will tell me to I am crazy, but I know what happen today,”
“I can’t believed, they actually did all what’s has to be done , they split and did on two sides.”
“Might be souls of dead fisherman in them, and helped us” mumbled deck boss and cross him self .
Dinner was ready, job was done, all was ready for tomorrow. They went in the galley and excited chattered away about today. Vine was flowing , and tiredness soon takes over. One by one they retired in their bunks. Merciless bell ring at four o’clock, main engines were running already, coffiero was already up, skipper finishes his coffee and climbed up in crows nest, Navigator with coffee in the hand was
stretching on wing station.
“Slow ahead”
“Stand by, stand by, hurry up, stand by”
It was break neck speed when all run to their stations. Sandwiches in the hands, speed boat man, milk in the hand was dropped off and was trailing on stern quarter.
“Let go, mola, mola, mola!!”
And again whales did help them, crew seen it , cross them self, pray or just look each other. This was not no more accident. Whales know what they do.
Ring were up with the sun, another two hundred fifty tons were in cold water.
‘Engine, are you able to take some more, how is refrigeration?”
“Skipper, you get them- will freeze them, don’t you worry, all we need- just send me some more people down here to help turning the shut.”
“Are you sure? You can get three hundred now?”
“Yes, just let me know when to start dumping water”
Three hour later it was eight hundred tons in total in cold water. Additional generators needed forremaining ice machines were humming, all ice machines were running , and engineers were pushing system to the limits. Important was not to freeze surface , as in that case ice will prevent interior of the fish to be frozen, and honeycomb will develop.
“Stand by”
“Let go, let go”
“Chief start pumping. We got them again, whales help us again.”
Engineers were up all night and now were transferring cold sea water from already chilled holds in empty ones. Brain from empty ones was transferred in chilled ones. While on the top they stock the net, engineers were making space to save brain and as much of cold sea water as possible. They will need all they can save if fishing continue as now.
“Are you ready to receive?”
“Send them down, were ready”
Steady stream of fish flowed through aluminum shut in holds, filing them rapidly.
“Two eighty tons full, Skipper”
“OK, we got at least that much, can’t you make some more space in other tanks?”
“I got two eighty tons empty, we might squeeze some more in bow, hey tell the guys to put in walk in food freezer, there we can put some two tons also if stocked properly”
“Skipper we are full to the max, let put some fish in walk in , you will have to give me the time to freeze fish, before we get in the Port. Plan three days to get cold and hard”
Two days of fishing, 1120 tons in the holds, two tons in walk in freezer, life was good, life was very good.
No body remembered lunch, they jump over, and was time for dinner already. Skipper, navigator and both engineers were on the wind station enjoying vista of the moon , calm seas and success.
“You know I can’t tell the boss to we are full, he wont believe us” Skipper say.
“We still don’t know where will go to unload” navigator.
“Fish is hardening but is not ready for unloading for at least two more days” engineer.
“What’s about to we “fish” our way up the Equator and when were by Chook, we call the boss and tell
him were full. On that way hell call us in Guam, will be too far away to go in Pago Pago.”
“Sound good” skipper gets on PA and address crew ”Guys this is fastest trip I ewer made, will “fish” our way to Guam, no body will trust us any way. About the whales don’t talk, everybody will say to were drunken crew, clean the ship well, and get all ready for unloading. If chief need help do it, this is fastest money were ever made, make sure we preserve them in our checks.”
Skipper get the bottle of Chivas Royal, navigator and engineers poured full glasses, skipper turn toward the whales blowing near by.
“God thank you for two of our friends, whom paid us back for our kindness, with fastest fishing trip we ewer had, please keep good care of them and don’t let them die. Amen.”
With those four men raised glasses drink toast and dump rest in the Ocean, for all fishermen on Happy fishing grounds. Sun was sinking on the west,
Ocean was bright gold color, two whales blow few times and submerged. Night was falling fast.
In the morning- whales were no more.