how to harpoon a beluga

how to harpoon a beluga....from a guy that harpooned just one in his lifetime. haha! it sounds kind of funny because it comes from a guy that lacks experience in harpooning beluga, but it does incorporate adequate experience in harpooning in general and the use of basic physics.

last summer, i had the privilege of beluga hunting and harpooning my first, and hopefully not last, beluga whale. the whale was maybe a 16 footer and was harpooned approximately 4 miles in front of kotzebue. i went out with joey and his dad. i was the harpooner, joey was the shooter, and his dad drove the boat.

let's start with the harpoon; it should be a heavier harpoon and have a buoy the size of a fishing buoy. the harpoon i used was heavy, and it was made of steal, much like an ice pick. the rope was regular sized rope that you'd find on a boat's anchor line. the buoy was the size of a fishing bouy. the bigger the bouy, the more drag you have for the beluga. think of the harpoon line and the buoy like a ball and chain. the bigger the ball, the slower the going.

the water; ross has talked about harpooning beluga and he's talked about the depth being at around 8 feet. if a beluga swims in 8 foot of water, you can see the wake in its path. any deeper and you won't see a wake. 8 feet is the optimal depth of water for beluga hunting. if you find your beluga, make sure you lead him toward shallow water.



the line; make sure the line is well placed and prepared for a quick unravel. this means hand-feeding the line into place and handling the rope with care. when i harpooned my beluga, i looked down at the line and found the rope around my foot! i took the line in my hand, pressed it against the side of the boat, and scrambled to get my foot out. this was scary and i will make damn sure it doesn't happen again. secure your line.

harpooning position; you should be in front of the boat, stand with harpoon in hand, and make sure the line is secure. harpoon target should be center mass. make sure you aim in center of the beluga. when i harpooned my beluga, i asked where i should harpoon it. since everyone was a rookie beluga hunter, i didn't get a reply. so, i aimed center mass. my first strike was a miss. i quickly pulled up the harpoon, made sure the point was good, and harpooned a second time. this time i hit him in the middle of the back, an inch from his spine. your strike should be placed in the center.



if you're successful, the beluga should be harpooned center mass and the line should be unraveling freely without any obstruction. after i harpooned my beluga, (and after freeing my foot from the line) i ran and got my rifle. we followed the buoy for about a minute before it surfaced. joey and i shot our beluga when it came up.

these are the basic rules to harpooning a beluga. make sure you have a trusty and adequate harpoon, lead the beluga toward shallow water (8 feet or less), keep your line secure, and have good position for harpooning. if you follow these rules, you might see some success. good luck!