Swimming with Dolphins! - Kaikoura

13/11 - 15/11

Before the trip, we both thought about what things we wanted to do in the 6 months. Originally, my bucket list included 'diving with whales'. Since I can't dive and it's not whale season, it quickly turned into 'swimming with dolphins'.

So we made a stop in Kaikoura to fulfill this adventure. This small town is located on the northern east coast and offers a diverse marine fauna, similar to Dunedin. Swimming with dolphins is one of the most popular activities in this region.



Our tour started early at 8:30 am. We were driven to the harbor in full gear (wetsuit and snorkeling equipment) and boarded a medium-sized motorboat with about 15 other people. Our guides - Nick and Vik - constantly kept an eye out for the dusky dolphins that we wanted to swim with.

The ride on the open sea took quite a long time, unfortunately we couldn't find a group. Finally, we received a relieving message from another boat that they had found a large group of dolphins. So we made a course change and headed straight there. As soon as we arrived at the spot, we were immediately instructed to get into the icy cold water - there was no time to think or reconsider the whole thing. The first few seconds were uncomfortable because of the cold and frightening because of the open sea, but the uncertainty quickly dissipated.



We were told beforehand to be very loud and attract attention to make the dolphins curious and lure them to us. So all swimmers made the wildest noises/sounds/melodies - the sound effects were extremely funny! :)

It didn't take long for dolphins to appear below and/or beside us, and if you managed to make eye contact and spin in a circle, they stayed close to us for some time. At first, I didn't feel completely comfortable, but the joy quickly replaced the fear. I had incredible fun with the two or three dolphins that were attracted to my noises and swam around me!

Luki was also very successful with the dolphins, but unfortunately he soon became seasick. After some time, we changed the swimming spot, and from there he gave up - just like two others from our swimming group - and stayed on the boat for safety.

After the swimming sessions, we had a short time to take some photos from the boat. Only then did I see how many dolphins were actually around us - guide Nick estimated about 250 animals. Some swam very close to the boat, others jumped out of the water several times.





Shortly after noon, we were back on land. Although I was already quite exhausted, I was somehow very excited. I managed to convince Luki to take a short coastal walk in the evening and treat ourselves to a beer or two in a bar. We definitely deserved it!





On the side of the road, there was a sleeping sealion in the bushes, so we had to take a sealphie...

Conclusion:

I'm super glad we went to Kaikoura. I have to admit that during the first days/weeks in New Zealand, I had doubts and hesitations if I would dare to do it. I have a lot of respect for open waters, especially the ocean. But I set myself the goal for this trip to occasionally step out of my comfort zone and do things that scare me or make me uneasy.

And swimming in the open and icy cold sea, surrounded by 2-meter long dolphins, is definitely outside my comfort zone. But I'm very happy and glad I did it - it was a unique experience! Even Luki was very enthusiastic about it despite the battle against nausea.

Unfortunately, this time we can't present a wide range of photos, we were too busy with the activity itself! :)

Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: Motueka <<