We swam with 200 Dolphins

Preposterous? Exaggeration? Figment of our imaginations? No, it's absolutely true!  Read on...

We left Picton by the Inter-city bus to Kaikora.  Great value at $16NZ each for the two-and-a-half hour journey south along beautiful coastline. The area is famous for its crayfish, and the proximity of the continental shelf to the mainland creates the ideal conditions for a nutrient rich marine life that is a mecca for seals, dolphins, and whales.

We walked in the rain to the seal colony where New Zealand fur seals basked on the rocks and on the walkways oblivious to passing humans. They have been known to sleep in the middle of the road and bring traffic to a standstill. This was only one of many seal colonies we had seen from the bus earlier in the day. With no apparent let-up in the weather we adjourned to the tiny cinema on the esplanade to watch "The Book Thief".

Early start next morning. Eight o'clock at the "Encounter" building to suit-up and watch a safety video. By 9am, in our wetsuits and holding our flippers, snorkels and face-masks, we were on board a boat and heading out in rough seas in search of dusky dolphins. One hour later we spotted our fist pod of over 200 and within seconds we were in the water with them. It was incredible! Dolphin after

dolphin swam either side of us and underneath us. One inquisitive dolphin circled around me, another leapt out of the water ahead of me and crashed back down through the waves tail first. One dolphin swam alongside Anni for several seconds, no doubt puzzled by her watery rendition of "Singing in the Rain". We had been told to make noises to attract their attention, and clearly this particular cacophony worked! Four times we repeated our swims, and each time the pod was at least 200 strong. Back on board we stayed with the dolphins for a short time whilst they rode the bow wave and performed acrobatics for us, giving everyone a chance to take photos. I am proud to report that Anni and I were amongst a very small minority who did not succumb to the motion of the seas, although I felt sorry for the crew who were kept extremely busy.

Back on dry land we were exhausted but elated. The sea had been extremely rough. An earlier trip had been cancelled. It was difficult to swim in such confused and angry seas, although it did not seem to give the dolphins any problem.  Despite the conditions it was an amazing thing to have done and the memories will stay with us for ever.