Dusky Dolphins everywhere - don't miss this.....

My final trip in Kaikoura enabled me to encounter what could well be the biggest draw card in the area, the huge pods of wild Dusky Dolphins that are resident here. The friendly folk at ‘Dolphin Encounter’ run several well-organized and eco-friendly trips each day to view and swim with these enchanting little fellows. They make it very clear from the outset that the dolphins are the number one priority and the ‘encounter’ you have is strictly on their terms. Kaikoura is universally recognized as one of the best places on the planet to witness these playful, gregarious and highly sociable little dolphins. As I maneuvered myself about the boats deck my first reaction was sheer amazement, where on earth should I look? There seemed to be hundreds of them and they appeared to be absolutely everywhere – soaring through the water at a rate of knots beneath and around our boat sometimes even spurting water up over me from the sides. The noise they made was incredible too with squeaks and dolphin chatter filling the air. It was almost as though the dolphins were as excited to see us as we were them. It felt as though there was so much charged energy all about and I couldn’t help but feel emotional and enlivened by their presence - and then they only went and put on a real show. I’m not sure if they were just showing off but it was remarkably humbling to witness close up their breathtaking jumps and acrobatic twists and turns. The imagery I had seen from watching episodes of ‘Blue Planet’ was happening live in front of me!