A live humpback whale just off the bow is one of the most glorious sights in all the world. A dead one is a real heart breaker. When I was with the Fish & Wildlife Service we came across a dead humpback out at sea. I was in one of the Coast Guards 210 foot cutters at the time, and, they thought it would be good practice, so, they opened up on it. The Captain says to me "How do you like that shooting Mr. Morse?" I said "beautiful, they can hit a dead whale with a machine gun" and went below.