A postcard bearing no producer's name that was posted on Monday the 26th. September 1904 to:
Miss Bessie Goodall, Seven Mills, Leven, Fife, Scotland.
There was no message on the divided back of the card, with the sender preferring to write on the front.
Pelorus Jack
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, on the 26th. September 1904, Pelorus Jack became protected under the New Zealand Sea Fisheries Act.
Pelorus Jack was a dolphin that was famous for meeting and escorting ships through a stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand, between 1888 and 1912.
Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, a notoriously dangerous channel used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson.
Pelorus Jack's Appearance
Pelorus Jack was approximately 13 feet (4 m) long and was white with grey lines, and a round, white head. Although its sex was never determined, it was identified from photographs as a Risso's dolphin, Grampus Griseus. This is an uncommon species in New Zealand waters, and only 12 Risso's dolphins have ever been reported in that area.
History
Pelorus Jack guided the ships by swimming alongside them for 20 minutes at a time. If the crew could not see Jack at first, they often waited for him to appear.
Despite his name, he did not live in nearby Pelorus Sound; instead, he would often guide ships through the dangerous passages of French Pass.
Pelorus Jack was first seen around 1888 when he appeared in front of the schooner Brindle when the ship approached French Pass. When the members of the crew saw the dolphin bobbing up and down in front of the ship, they wanted to kill him, but the captain’s wife talked them out of it.
To their amazement, the dolphin then proceeded to guide the ship through the narrow channel. For years thereafter, he safely guided almost every ship that came by. With rocks and strong currents, the area is dangerous to ships, but no shipwrecks occurred when Jack was present.
Many sailors and travellers saw Pelorus Jack, and he was mentioned in local newspapers and depicted on postcards.
Jack was last seen in April 1912. There were various rumours connected with his disappearance, including fears that foreign whalers might have harpooned him. However, research suggests that Pelorus Jack was an old animal; his head was white and his body pale, both indications of age, so it is likely that he died of natural causes.
The Shooting Incident
In 1904, someone aboard the SS Penguin tried to shoot Pelorus Jack with a rifle. Despite the attempt on his life, Pelorus Jack continued to help ships. According to folklore, however, he no longer helped the Penguin, which shipwrecked in Cook Strait in 1909.
The Protection of Pelorus Jack
Following the shooting incident, Pelorus Jack became protected by Order in Council under the New Zealand Sea Fisheries Act on the 26th. September 1904.
Pelorus Jack remained protected by that law until his disappearance in 1912. He was the first individual sea creature to be protected by law in any country.
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