Swim with Wild Dolphins

Posted by Marci on Dec 2, 2010 in | 0 comments

The frigid waters of the Bay of Islands, New Zealand splashed against my bare legs, as I stood at the edge of the boat in a short wetsuit. Dark clouds met the surrounding green hills as the wind blew against my skin causing goose bumps to rise.

“Remember, dolphins are playful creatures,” the marine biologist said. “Sing to them and move around in the water to get their attention. If you bore them, they will swim away.”

I looked into the indigo waters, held my breath, and jumped in. The cold sucked the air from my lungs as I surfaced. I placed my snorkel into position as I looked through my mask into the clear waters. I saw nothing but sand deep below. I kicked my legs as fast as I could, not only to get distance from the boat and the other people, but also to warm-up. The cold seeped into my muscles causing them to cramp and gave me an ice cream headache.

I thought of returning to the boat, worried that I would become sick and ruin the three weeks I still had in New Zealand, but I’d dreamt of swimming with wild dolphins since childhood.

I began to hum under the water. The only song I could think to sing was “Good Ship Lollipop” and I felt ridiculous as the tune vibrated in my ears. Then I saw it – the fluid grace of the largest dolphin I’d ever seen moving towards me with great speed. Fear launched in my mind as this creature, that more than doubled my size, swam right under me. I could’ve reached out and stroked its skin, but these were wild dolphins and we weren’t allowed to risk harming them with human touch.

The dolphin twirled and turned, coming back to me as I continued to hum. It moved beside me and I could see the strength in its solid body. Within moments four more dolphins surrounded me. Tears welled in my eyes as they circled. Below, one watched me. Our eyes locked in a surreal moment as we stared at one another while three other dolphins swam around me. They say the eyes are the gateway to the soul, and in that eye I saw a joyful, peaceful spirit that touched my heart.

Back on the boat, I was surprised to hear that others in the group hadn’t seen the dolphins. We were only feet from one another, but many people were so focused on the discomfort of the icy water that they barely looked down. Also, the dolphins choose with whom they will connect. I guess they liked Shirley Temple’s song.