{"id":751,"date":"2024-02-03T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/?p=751"},"modified":"2024-02-04T10:23:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T21:23:43","slug":"boating-on-the-marlborough-sounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/03\/boating-on-the-marlborough-sounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Boating on the Marlborough Sounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Morning start in Picton Marina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Today was a long day on the water. Since we postponed the mail tour yesterday, we had to double up on today\u2019s water activities. Thankfully the storm passed overnight and we woke up to beautiful weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were up early and down at the marina at 8 a.m. for our E-Ko swim with the dolphins tour<\/a>. We got suited up in wetsuits (regretted eating those pastries the day before), tried to suck it all in for the pictures Mitch insisted on taking, and boarded the boat. With binoculars glued to my face for the first hour, scanning the water for dolphins and whales, I was becoming uncertain about the whole exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Morning hunt for dolphins and whales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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No this way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Entrance to Cook Strait<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Maybe in this cove?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Where were they? Would we even get to see them? Or even the elusive Orca whale? It was the hardest game of \u201cI Spy\u201d I ever played. Another half an hour later and still nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I Spy \u2014 Not a dolphin or a whale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The other natives were starting to get restless as well. Then someone spotted something in the water. The skipper slowed the boat and as we got closer he identified it as the Hector dolphin, the smallest and rarest dolphin in the world and native to NZ. There was a pod of about 10, then another pod showed up. Thirty or so dolphins entertained us by swimming alongside the boat. The guide said it was nearly the entire population of Hector dolphins in the Marlborough Sounds and we were having a fortunate interaction. The dolphins were curious and playful and loved the attention we were giving them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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