Swimming With Dolphins...Nearly!

Dolphins have always fascinated me. Such intelligent and attractive mammals. The desire to see them, swim with them and ultimately give one a hug dates back as far as I can remember. Perhaps it was due to watching 'Flipper' as a boy?

Can you believe that in all my years of diving and swimming in seas and oceans around the world - I have never actually seen a dolphin? After diving the Lermontov, as we drove away, I could make out a pattern of fast moving splashes crossing the bay. How cruel? To see dolphins jumping where I had been swimming just hours earlier - now no more than specks in the distance.

But never say never. I knew that dolphin sightings were possible in New Zealand waters and I had heard that there were opportunities to swim with them in the wild. I went searching.

 

                                         

At Picton I found a reputable nature and wildlife company and I went in to find out more. What I learned was this: I could go out with the boat the next morning. We would go dolphin hunting and when we found them, I would be allowed to enter the water to interact with them. Perfect. There were just two provisos. 1. If we encounter killer whales (Orca), actually the largest dolphin species in the world, we would not be allowed to enter the water. 2. If we encountered Hectors Dolphins, the smallest dolphin species in the world, indigenous to South New Zealand waters and critically endangered - we would not be allowed into the water. 

Whilst I was in the booking office paying to go the next day a radio message came in from the two boats operating that morning "we are in the water. Repeat we are in the water. Hundreds of bottle-nosed dolphins. Over."

I paid, I left and I dreamed of dolphins.

The next morning I was due to arrive for 8.15am. By 7.30 I was stood outside the dolphin centre looking at my watch. I went to look at the vessel we would be using. I wandered the harbour watching the fishing boats heading out and eventually it was time to go in and get kitted out. Yet another wetsuit (though have you noticed how much slimmer I am looking in them!?) and then a briefing. Our guide would be Larissa and she explained about the five different dolphin species we could encounter this morning and reiterated the 'no swim' policy if we saw Orca or Hectors. She finished by adding that all week long they had had successful dolphin swimming encounters and reassured us that Orca are actually pretty rare in New Zealand waters.

                    

Eventually we set off and immediately everyone went into dolphin spotting mode. I could not have physically looked any harder. I scanned the horizon as our catamaran zoomed out into the Queen Charlotte Sounds. Yes - the scenery was stunning (if a little overcast to begin with) but I was watching the water. After 30 minutes we saw them, the distinctive black dorsal fins of ...Orca - a whole pod of them. Larissa jumped and squealed with excitement and the captain changed course. I smiled. It looked like I wouldn't be swimming with dolphins - but hey - this was a group of killer whales!

                                 

We approached slowly, observing nationally agreed dolphin encounter policies and everyone stood on the front decking and snapped pictures.

                                

                                 

                                 

The Orca were beautiful. It was a pod of 7, including some juveniles and a lead male. My they were large. Every so often they would surface and blast a spray of air from their blow holes and then submerge again. And they were fast. At one point, two of the younger males came over to our boat. One proceeded to swim under us and the other approached, did a barrel roll as it examined us from the side and then it went under. I was speechless. 

          

                                 

By this point I had changed out of my wetsuit, as we knew we would not be getting into the water. Seeing Orca is a double edged sword - on the one hand, who would ever complain about seeing such majestic creatures, whilst on the other - all the other dolphin species vanish when the Orca are about!

                                 

After enjoying our Orca encounter we set off to a sheltered bay where the crew knew we had a chance of seeing Hectors dolphins. Again, it would mean we would not be going into the water, but we did not mind. Leaving the Orca well in our wake we set off and resumed dolphin watching duties. 

                                 

                                 

                                 

It was worth it. Hectors Dolphins are so unbelievably cute. A fully grown adult will only reach 1.5m in length and the babies are like little bullets, immensely fast, and practically attached to their their mums as they swim along. They buzzed our boat repeatedly to have a good look at us all on the deck and we clapped, smiled and cheered. What a contrast! Orca measuring 8 metres+ and baby Hectors no bigger than a rugby ball! Amazing! 

                             

My thanks go to Dolphin Watch & Nature Tours, Picton. They were so professional, informative and enthusiastic. I had a wonderful time and really recommend them to everyone.