Website designed and maintained by Microport  © 2010 -20

Taught/practised on:

2010 May 23 rd 2012 May 27 th

PELORUS JACK (J8x32) Barry Skelton  RSCDS Book 41  1- 8 1s cross RH, cast 1 place & dance RH across with 3s, 1s end with Man facing his 1 st  corner with his partner behind him  9-16 1s dance Alternating Tandem ½ reel of 3 with 1 st  corners & Alternating Tandem ½ reel with 2 nd  corners 17-24 1s dance Alternating Tandem ½ reels of 3 with Ladies 1 st  corner (position) & then with Ladies 2 nd  corner (position) 25-32 1M followed by partner dance into LH across with 2s, 1s retain LH & ½ turn to own sides, 2s+1s+3s set

Pelorus Jack was a Risso's dolphin (approx. 4m long, white in colour with grey lines or shadings), an uncommon species in New Zealand waters, where Pelorus Jack was first seen around 1888 when it appeared in front of the schooner Brindle when the ship approached French Pass, a channel located between D'Urville Island and the South Island, used by ships travelling between Wellington and Nelson. The area is dangerous to ships with rocks and strong currents and Pelorus Jack would guide the ships through the channel by swimming alongside for twenty minutes at a time. Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near French Pass, and if the crew could not see Jack at first, they would often wait for him to appear. Despite his name, he did not live nearby Pelorus Sound. Many sailors and travellers saw Pelorus Jack and he was mentioned in local newspapers and depicted on postcards. Apparently no shipwrecks occurred when Jack was present. In 1904, someone aboard the SS Penguin tried to shoot Pelorus Jack with a rifle. Despite the attempt at his life, Pelorus Jack continued to help ships though according to folklore, Pelorus Jack no longer helped the Penguin, which was later shipwrecked in 1909. Following the shooting incident, a law was proposed to protect Pelorus Jack. He became protected by Order in Council under the Sea Fisheries Act on 26 September 1904 and it is believed that Pelorus Jack was the first individual sea creature protected by law in any country and he remained protected by that law until his disappearance in April 1912. There were various rumours connected to 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. Since 1989, Pelorus Jack has been used as a symbol for the Interislander, a ferry service across the Cook Strait, and is incorporated into the livery of the ships in the fleet.