Swimming with seals in Kaikoura

Trip Start Sep 10, 2004

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of New Zealand Kaikoura, New Zealand
Sunday, February 19, 2006

Our next stop was Kaikoura, one of my favourite places. I love its atmosphere, it seems very mysterious to me... almost like there is some kind of electricity in the air... hidden forces at work. In 2006 I swam with dolphins there, it was one of the most beautiful experiences i've had in New Zealand. Anyway, I really wanted Mamster to experience that too but it was fully booked - even the standby list had a had a standby list! So we opted for a seal swim instead. I took my underwater camera case with me to get some photo's of the seals. Only in the water did I find out I needed to put silica gel capsules in the case to absorb excess moisture. So the condensation on the lens kind of held me back.

I loved swimming with the seals. They lay on the rocks looking at you, occasionally showing you their teeth, giving you the impression that they are fierce cumbersome creatures and if you get any closer they will probably bite you. My wetsuit had what looked like teeth marks on the leg, which didn't help me and my imagination. Though, when they slide into the water, they transform into graceful inquisitive creatures. They propel through the water towards you, veering off at the very last second... sometimes brushing past you, giving a fair idea of their strength. Then they come back for a second look, always keeping eye contact, they float at the surface, dip their heads under the water and just hang there...staring right into your eyes. Brilliant!

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