Hector's Dolphins

Dec 24: Christmas Eve day we decided to hitchhike to Akaroa and swim with the dolphins. We caught a bus to Halswell which is on the other side of Christchurch towards Akaroa and began walking/limping with our thumbs up and our smiles out. Our first ride was from a guy from Holland who had moved here several years ago. He had a really nice and spacious car and he took us to Taitapu. We chatted about NZ, Holland and being American. Then we got picked up by a Kiwi named Chris who was in a hurry and late for his job as a chef in Akaroa. Chris drove a lime green truck. He was very talkative about his partner, her kid, the traveling he wanted to do and his life in general. He said the secret to life was to "drink a little, don't smoke and [find someone to be with]." He was a really nice chap who was interested in interior design. Chris even offered us a place to crash and suggested a job opportunity in another part of NZ. Once in Akaroa we wandered around and I got my first flat white, which is steamed milk and a shot of espresso. It was tasty and we got it from a shop where Chris said the owner was "bent as bent can be."

Then we suited up into full body 5mm wet suits. Getting my suit over my knee bandage was a difficult project. There were 8 swimmers total on a little Blackcat boat with two guides and the one who spoke the most was named Hamish. We slowly puttered out of Akaroa Harbor and then took off leaping over waves. Hector's dolphins are the world's smallest and rarest dolphins. We weren't allowed to touch them, but just swimming near them was fantastic. Hector's Dolphins hang out in pods of 2-4. We were told if they were feeding or had calves with them, we couldn't stop and would have to find more. In the end it wasn't a problem. We lucked out and had about 4 pods of dolphins, about 12-16, swimming around us. When I first got in the water, my breath caught because it was so chilly, but soon the thin layer of water in my suit warmed up and kept me feeling quite warm. The dolphins were playful and seemed to be having a lot of fun surfing the waves and investigating us. They would catch a wave and flash by us, but turn around and come right back. They really seemed to like the back of the boat. The dolphins would swim in 2's and 3's around us. Every so often Hamish or the girl would call out to us to turn around and there would be a dolphin right there. After we got out of the water another boat of swimmers came and we had a chance to take pictures and movies while the dolphins played with the new people. I have always loved dolphins so this was an amazing experience.

After swimming with the dolphins we were given hot chocolate on the ride back and then hot showers. I had to dress my wound after the shower because I promised my doctor and I didn't want an infection. Then we began our trek back to Christchurch. The first ride we caught was from a man and a woman from the UK. The woman did research on the dolphins and the man was just visiting over the holiday. They drove us to Barry's Bay where they were stopping for cheese and wine. Then we were picked up by a nice old kiwi man named Stewart/Stuart. He drove us all the way to Christchurch. I had to fight to keep my eyes open. Gordon was sitting in the front so I didn't really need to stay awake, but I felt that I should because it's polite to talk with your driver. Don't worry, Gordon and I were safe while hitchhiking. If it was a male driver, Gordon sat in front and if it was a female driver, which it never was, I was going to sit in front. Stuart was a plastic surgeon who was fixing up one of his rental houses in Akaroa and needed a part from a hardware store in Christchurch. We had a nice ride with him because he had a very spacious 4 seater truck. We spoke of his life in the army, his kids, our college careers and pretty much anything that came to mind. It was a lovely ride because he dropped us off near the bus centre and the number 12 was just about to pull away. This is a bus that goes right by our house so we can get it to literally drop us in front of our house.