This was not my first time to swim with dolphins in Kaikoura. The first time I went, some 20+ years ago, was absolutely incredible. A high point in my life.
And still the second time around it was quite unsettling to drop into the ocean amongst predators. I’m a dry-lander. The ocean is big and from my perspective, very unpredictable.
Dolphins and horses communicate differently, and I’m barely fluent in “horse” language.
“Be interesting” our guides told us. “Sing!” they said.
Hard to do when hyperventilating through a snorkel that I kept accidentally filling with sea water.
Part of me thinks the dolphins hung around just to make sure this flailing human was okay.
The dolphins made eye contact. They dared me to touch them. They darted toward me and flitted away. They led me in a tight circle until I couldn’t keep up.
This went on for at least an hour. Normally the boat stops, you swim for a bit, the dolphins move on, you get in the boat, find another pod, repeat. Not this day. The captain and crew were astonished - several pods came to visit us. Once, the captain blew the horn for us to come in, and more dolphins came. He and the crew told us we didn’t have to come in after all.
It was exhausting, and wonderful.
I saw a plane circling in front of our boat. Were they watching the dolphins?
Stay tuned, there’s a part 2!