Wild dolphin adventure
New Zealand operator virtually guarantees some sightings of much-loved mammals
Where are the dolphins going to be? In the blue stuff ... that’s all we know.”
And with that declaration, skipper Martin Bonom of the 35-passenger Tutunui takes off from sparkling Kororareka Bay into the expansive waters of the Bay of Islands. There is nothing, we are told, to aid in the search for wild bottlenose dolphins but luck, keen eyes and the knowledge that this is a favourite spot for the mammals to swim.
“We recognize them only by sight, and the majority of the time, it’s the passengers who see them,” Tutunui crew member Scotty Turton says. Together, he adds, we’ll be looking for fins breaking the surface of the turquoise water and discolouring its vibrant glow with a dark shadow.
“If you see a splash, or something black, yell and scream and point,” Turton says, taking out his hefty binoculars. “It could be a rock or a stick, but it doesn’t matter, it means you’re paying attention.”
There are about 20 pairs of eyes on board the Tutunui today taking part in the Fullers GreatSights dolphin eco experience.
Our purpose-built boat with its powerful jet engine is eclipsing the ocean swells at an impressive pace as we whip our heads around under a sturdy canopy of shade.
Off the coast of the town of Russell, we are at one of the northernmost tips of New Zealand’s north island, where lush subtropical rainforests and slick, sand beaches grace the shorelines of the spectacular bay. It’s an area soaking in history, having played host to significant whaling ports, expansive Maori settlements and affecting geological phenomena that has taken place across and in between its 100-plus islands.
“We’re going to be looking for a nice adult pod here,” says Turton as we slow the vessel down near a row of volcanically designed basalt columns.
The landscape up top is quiet and spectacular, but underneath us, we are told, is a lavish universe of baleen whales, seals, sharks, penguins and fish. One little girl looks petrified when it’s announced there may be orca in the water — another looks thrilled.
“Early this morning, we saw dolphins jumping by the bow of that cruise ship,” the boat’s skipper says, pointing to an enormous vessel stationed far to the south. “But nothing has been seen since.”
Turton adds over the crashing of ocean waves that dolphins can swim 200 kilometres a day. While boats in the bay often join forces by alerting each other of sightings, radar is not used for fear it might disrupt the natural order of the ocean. So, off we go again to chase the wild waves.
“This is truly a game of cat and mouse,” Turton says. “It’s nature.”
It’s also nature that decrees that although the water we want to explore beckons us to come swim, wading with the dolphins may not be an option today. Although it’s an experience that is theoretically offered as part of the eco dolphin journey, the stipulation that humans should not swim with a mother and her calf is one that Fullers GreatSights unwaveringly abides by.
“We’ve seen it before with private boaters who don’t understand the rules,” Turton says. “Humans swim with them and the mother gets so distracted she will leave her little one and the little one will not know what to do. It’s a touchy time of their lives in those early years.”
Further, the company is passionate in its efforts to present the dolphins in their most natural state, exclusively trailing behind the dolphins or at their side so as not to disrupt their daily journey. And finally, Turton explains, if the dolphins seem disinterested in interacting with the boat, the crew will move on after five or 10 minutes of observation.
“It’s their world,” Turton says. “If they want to hang out, they’ll show a lot of the signs.”
While swimming with the mammals is not guaranteed, the possibility of a sighting is listed by Fullers GreatSights at 95 per cent.
“And just like that, we have dolphins,” Turton shouts suddenly, breaking up the engaged silence of the boat’s concentrated spotting efforts into a chorus of excited squeals.
At the boat’s left, there are three dolphins — visible as they swim in sync a few metres from our pointing fingers. One shows off a playful bellyroll, indicating a level of comfort with our presence, and so we climb quietly to the bow’s low-riding observation deck to watch them so closely that we can see every light scratch of history on their delicate skin.
When up to 15 of the marine marvels begin to make sudden appearances on either side of the boat, their presence leads to a mutual state of silence so that we all might catch each moment in our memories. With ease, power and grace, they escort us through the bay for a full 30 minutes, bursting in and out of the waves as we sit, both elated and fixated on the natural display.
Soon after, it’s pointed out in a hushed tone that the dolphins can be heard peacefully breathing, a calf is spotted swimming with the pod alongside its mother, its tiny body and signature smile tell us that swimming won’t be an option today, but reminds us that life is both bountiful and precious in these waters.
And with that, it’s decided that it’s time to let them be.
“On one occasion, we saw a pod of transient orca that had come in from the South Pacific,” Turton says, when asked about his most memorable expeditions as we make our way back to Russell. “They were huge — it blew my mind.
“On the way back from that, we saw a pod of about 1,500 to 2,000 common dolphins … then in the very last stretch that same morning, we came across a humpback whale.”
But no matter what occurs on the outings, Turton says that for most, the opportunity to see wild dolphins living dignified lives rather than ones cut drastically short by confinement and captivity is worth a chase on the open ocean.
“You don’t know when it’s going to happen or what’s going to happen … it just happens,” he says excitedly. “That’s the beauty of it, really.”