MitchFebruary 7
Victoria stayed back on land while I ventured to sea in search of whales. My first clue that Victoria made the right decision was when the announcement came over the lobby reception PA saying the captain had made the determination to sail, but he warned against a high probability of sea sickness. They offered everyone the chance to back out for free.
Armed with sea sickness pills Victoria gave me and a sea sickness watch-type device we used years ago on our first and only cruise (Victoria vows never again), me and 100 of my closest friends said heck yea, let’s go! And so we did.
The winds were at 26 knots blowing from the Northeast with 4 to 6 foot seas that felt even higher at times. Thankfully we were on a special high powered jet engine watercraft that made the ride look easy even though the seas were mighty rough. “Look at the horizon,” the guide kept repeating. Find a stationary object to cast your spell on and hope for calmer waters I thought.
Thankfully, our first stop arrived for fresh air. The team put a listening device in the water to listen for whale sounds that can be heard as far away as 2 miles. Whales make a clicking noise under water that comes from the back of their throat as they dive. Scientists believe those sounds are used to identify a whale’s physical surroundings for navigation and that’s what the team were trying to locate. After 10 minutes, no sounds of whales. Back to the cabin we go to continue the search.
By this point we were some five miles off shore and the captain stopped again for the team to drop the listening apparatus. We were let out for fresh air (and good behavior). The seas were very rough. I caught some amazing sights of several Northern White Albatrosses, but no whales. Strike two.
The whale watching boat that left just before ours was already much further out and the passengers and crew were getting sick, so thankfully the captain headed over to Spy Glass Point to find calmer waters for us on the continental shelf.
A few minutes after our arrival, we were greeted with the incredible Hector dolphins drafting under our boat followed by the unbelievable sight of pods and pods of dolphins coming together to socialize. As the British lady standing next to me on the railing exclaimed, “Aye mate, they’r all at the pub havin’ a pint!”
We couldn’t believe our eyes. The water almost turned black from so many pods coming together. It was like a large flock of birds. There were Hectors swimming with Dusky dolphins as well as Bottlenose and Common dolphins. We stayed there for 30 minutes to take it all in and were entertained by the dolphins performing for us, doing backflips and jumping up into the air. It was a sight to behold.
We headed back north to Kaikōura. Still no whales sighted, so another refund is on the way, as this company also guarantees a sighting, or you get 80% of your money back. Thanks, but we’d all would have loved to see a whale. As a consolation prize we have video from our Queen Charlotte hiking friends who were able to spot one on the very same trip a few days ago.
Meanwhile, during all this excitement Mitch was having rocking and rolling on the high seas, back on terra firma, I was enjoying a lovely morning walk along the waterfront and discovered a cafe, so I went in for a coffee and a pear and white chocolate muffin.
On the recommendation of that British tourist Mitch met on the whale tour, we went for lunch at Cooper’s Catch. Even though it’s been 14 years since we left London, having lived there for 11 years I feel like I’m somewhat of a fish and chips connoisseur. OK, I just really like them. I know them wrapped in newspaper, the chips doused with salt and malt vinegar (sorry, Jim), the beer battered crispy fried fish waiting to be dipped in gobs of tartar sauce (again, sorry, Jim). Oh and lest we forget the best part of the whole meal: mushy peas! I loved them so much that when I lived in London “mushy peas” was part of my email address (a story for another time). As much as I anticipated this meal, and knowing in advance how I would feel after I ate it, it never stopped me. I never learned. The heaviness of the grease sitting like a pit in my stomach. I felt gross and unhealthy and could I have already sprouted a zit on my walk to the tube station? I am probably going to offend most, if not all, of my English friends when I write this, but this was the best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Super light and crispy coating, fresh Bluenose fish that was caught that morning out of the Pacific, thick steak fries, all cooked to perfection. The only thing missing was my beloved mushy peas.
We finished the day with another round of New Zealand’s real fruit ice cream and headed back to our motel overlooking the South Pacific Ocean to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
