 |
| Determination |
 |
| Seals playing! |
After our last breakfast amongst the Marlborough vines, we hopped in the mini-van towards Kaikoura. Immediately I knew Kaikoura would be my kind of town, as “kai” means food and “koura” means crayfish. Kaikoura is a famous coastal town known for its dusky dolphins, sperm whales and New Zealand fur seals. We knew we were close as Tess spotted a seal colony along the beautiful coastal highway. By the squeals and screams by five passengers, Tim could tell we were anxious to stop for a closer look. These deliciously adorable creatures were sprawled out on the rocks enjoying the cool temperature and the waves crashing in. The dangerously close highway forced us back into the car prematurely, but we were delighted once we arrived at our lodge we would be staying for the next two nights. While at the Hapuku Lodge, we stayed in handmade tree houses with a view of the aqua Pacific Ocean on one side and the towering mountains on the other. Not to mention a Jacuzzi bath and complimentary New Zealand brewed Mac’s beer.
 |
| Dolphins everywhere! |
Our primary activity while in Kaikoura turned out to be one of my favorite memories of the trip so far—swimming with the playful dusky dolphins. We arrived at Dolphin Encounters crossing our fingers for an operating tour, as the weather looked spot on to us but the waters were a bit choppy. Although given the message of SEA SICKNESS WARNING by every staff member, our good luck continued, as our group was called back to begin the gearing up process. With a 5 mm wet suit, a 5 mm jacket, a hood, flippers and a snorkel, we not only looked good but were going to be well prepared for the frigid water temperatures. After a quick safety video, we headed aboard a catamaran for a beautiful boat ride to the dolphin’s favorite spot. With the sound of the horn and the water splashing, we knew we had found it. The crew gave us helpful hints on how to attract the dolphins to you—continual loud squealing noises, swimming in circles and playful dives into the water. With large sets of lungs and impressive snorkeling skills, Tess and I were the perfect dolphin play buddies. We sat down on the edge of the boat only to be directed that it was GO TIME. We slid in to the ocean, as gracefully as Tess and I possibly could (hard task!), and within seconds we were surrounded by four or five dolphins. Not a surprise seeing that I had been practicing my dolphin squeal for weeks! These intelligent creatures came within inches of us, making eye contact with us and somersaulting right in front of us. One “couple” even enjoyed the water right beneath me for a good mating session. Once a pod of dolphins had moved on, we crawled back on the boat ready for our next dive. After 5 of these energy draining yet mesmerizing dolphin dives, it took every ounce of energy left in me to climb aboard. Once I emerged from the water, the sea sickness hit me like a brick wall! I graciously accepted a bucket from the crew and made good use of it..over and over. The boat pulled over for a dolphin photo session where we learned about their promiscuous behaviors—a female dolphin mates up to 5 times and with 3 different males in just 3 minutes. Wow. After a few ginger cookies and fresh air, I felt like a million bucks and enjoyed every dolphin flip and somersault on the journey home. We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon raiding the lodge’s DVD selection, including my introduction to the classic Finding Nemo. Searching for sperm whales tomorrow :)
Our primary activity while in Kaikoura turned out to be one of my favorite memories of the trip so far—swimming with the playful dusky dolphins. We arrived at Dolphin Encounters crossing our fingers for an operating tour, as the weather looked spot on to us but the waters were a bit choppy. Although given the message of SEA SICKNESS WARNING by every staff member, our good luck continued, as our group was called back to begin the gearing up process. With a 5 mm wet suit, a 5 mm jacket, a hood, flippers and a snorkel, we not only looked good but were going to be well prepared for the frigid water temperatures. After a quick safety video, we headed aboard a catamaran for a beautiful boat ride to the dolphin’s favorite spot. With the sound of the horn and the water splashing, we knew we had found it. The crew gave us helpful hints on how to attract the dolphins to you—continual loud squealing noises, swimming in circles and playful dives into the water. With large sets of lungs and impressive snorkeling skills, Tess and I were the perfect dolphin play buddies. We sat down on the edge of the boat only to be directed that it was GO TIME. We slid in to the ocean, as gracefully as Tess and I possibly could (hard task!), and within seconds we were surrounded by four or five dolphins. Not a surprise seeing that I had been practicing my dolphin squeal for weeks! These intelligent creatures came within inches of us, making eye contact with us and somersaulting right in front of us. One “couple” even enjoyed the water right beneath me for a good mating session. Once a pod of dolphins had moved on, we crawled back on the boat ready for our next dive. After 5 of these energy draining yet mesmerizing dolphin dives, it took every ounce of energy left in me to climb aboard. Once I emerged from the water, the sea sickness hit me like a brick wall! I graciously accepted a bucket from the crew and made good use of it..over and over. The boat pulled over for a dolphin photo session where we learned about their promiscuous behaviors—a female dolphin mates up to 5 times and with 3 different males in just 3 minutes. Wow. After a few ginger cookies and fresh air, I felt like a million bucks and enjoyed every dolphin flip and somersault on the journey home. We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon raiding the lodge’s DVD selection, including my introduction to the classic Finding Nemo. Searching for sperm whales tomorrow :)
That is sooo cool Katie! (Becker-Lafever)
ReplyDelete