15.11.09 - 16.11.09 Kaikoura Alpine Pacific Campground

Crayfish capital of New Zealand, Kaikoura is abundant in marine life with tours going out to whale watch, swim with dolphins, swim with seals and albatross spotting. We don't unfortunately manage to sample a local crayfish, it's damn expensive, but we do indulge in blue cod and chips. The white meat is melt in the mouth- very fresh. The town of Kaikoura itself is nothing particular to speak of, a pleasant line of shops and cafes, accommodations and tourist offices, but it's the alpine backdrop of the snowcapped Kaikoura Inland range that really sets this town apart.

On one side turquoise blue Pacific Ocean, on the other, mountainous peaks that line the horizon. We have a magnificent view of this from the spa pool in our complex! but also at night the stars provide an impressive show- they're so bright here. We're lucky to have such sunny weather so we decide to try and make the most of it by signing up for a 'Dolphin Encounter' cruise and swim. This turns out to be one of the best decisions yet because we find the experience of swimming with dolphins magical. We're kitted out with extra thick wetsuits, hoods, masks, snorkels and fins and boated out to the location where the pod of Dusky dolphins are known to be. We're warned prior to our trip that the Dusky dolphins are completely wild and there is no guarantee that they'll want to swim with us so try not to be too disappointed if they don't. But we were in luck- they were very willing to get in about us, circling us, diving under and round us in small groups.

underwater pic

We'd been advised to make noises through our snorkels to entice and entertain the dolphins and move around in circles and be active in the water so that they would want to come and play with us. So, the observers on the boat must've had a right laugh at us all in the water. It was extremely cold though and I thought I might not be able to handle the freezing water on my face, but as soon as the dolphins began to swim around me and I could see them clearly through my mask, all thoughts of being uncomfortable were gone and I just enjoyed the show. At times I would squeal through my snorkel because they'd swim up just beneath me and turn so that I could see them full length and almost make eye contact with them. And the squealing noises would only make them more playful. I tried swimming after them on occasion but soon lost them as they moved so quickly through the water, twisting and turning. It was an out of this world experience, being able to view them at such close range. Before long though, the captain was blowing the horn to beckon us back to the boat to change out of our wetsuits and warm up. We were treated to a display of about sixty dolphins racing alongside and underneath the front of the boat as we sailed along.

They 'performed' for us, doing jumps out of the water and slapping themselves on the water's surface, flips in the air and one even did a one and a half turn back flip right in front of us, which I unfortunately didn't manage to catch on film because I was so excited and couldn't stay focussed on it! Dusky dolphins are said to be the most acrobatic of dolphins and they certainly put in a wonderful display for us today.