An Unexpected Journey - Six

April 16, 2016

The Chateau Marlborough Blenheim staff continued their unhappy-to-be-of-service attitude at breakfast, so we were happy-to-be-going customers.  Leaving Blenheim, we enjoyed a stunningly beautiful drive down the Pacific Coast, reminiscent of the PCH in California.    To our east was the turquoise blue of the South Pacific Ocean, and to our west the Kaikoura Range.  We stopped for pictures and enjoyed the New Zealand fur seals sunning themselves on the rocky shoreline.

Behind the wheel

Kaikura is a hip little town of surfer shops and whale-watching tours on the Kaikoura Peninsula that juts out into the Pacific.  Shops are brightly colored, with lots of friendly-looking pubs and cafes.  We arrived a bit early, and hoped to be able to check into our accommodations before our afternoon tour.

Fyffe Country Lodge is a beautiful estate just outside of town.  It would've fit in quite well on the streets of Grosse Pointe.  The sign outside said, "check in at 2 p.m.," and the gate was bolted.  Undeterred, I passed through the gate and the lovely gardens to the main entrance.  The door was unlocked, so I walked in and rang the bell.  The mistress of the place was obviously busy preparing for the afternoon guests, but she kindly agreed to let us leave our luggage in the hall.

We went back into town and checked in at Whale Watch Kaikoura.  We joined several Chinese tourists to watch a brief safety video before climbing on a bus that would carry us to the harbor.  After a short drive, we boarded the catamaran Paikea, named for the legendary whale rider that is said to have come to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands on the back of a whale.  (This was also the name of the main character in the movie, Whale Rider.)   The WWK outfit is extremely conscientious about its impact on the environment, with an internal propeller that minimizes any risk to marine life, quiet engines, and toilets that never pollute the sea.

Ladies are "Wahine" (Waa-Hee-Nee)

We were instructed to stay in our airplane-style seats while the boat traveled out to sea.  Once we were in the vicinity of the whale, we were able to go out on deck.  The crew's ability to locate the whales was impressive;  whales are big, but the oceans are huge.  We returned to the location of a sighting from earlier in the day, and sure enough, the massive creature soon made its appearance.  This was a giant sperm whale, known to surface every 45 minutes or so to get air.

graphic illustrating the comparative size of our boat to the sperm whale and a giant squid

WHALES
Kaikōura is one of the few places in the world where Sperm Whales can be seen year-round and close to shore. They congregate here because the 3km deep Kaikōura Canyon runs right up against the coast creating a rare system of sea currents that sustain an incredibly rich marine food chain.

At first we could only see the top and dorsal fin of the whale, its blowhole periodically erupting with a loud whoosh.  It lingered at the surface for several minutes.  The crew said they would tell us when it was ready to submerge.  The top of the whale arched up slightly, then dove downward, its beautiful big tail momentarily appearing, and then it was gone.

a rainbow in the spray of the whale's blowhole

We then zipped off to another possible sighting location.  The captain dipped his hydrophone (underwater microphone) under the water and turned it in different directions, trying to locate the whale's distinctive call.  We eventually came upon another sperm whale, and marveled at its awesome massiveness.  It felt like such a privilege to be in the presence of this behemoth.

Captain listening for whale's echo

We tried to get some pictures of the great albatross that flew near the boat.  The crew got word of a blue whale in the area, and spent some time in the hunt.  How exciting it would have been to see the largest animal on the planet.  But blue whales don't linger in one area, and this one was apparently just passing through.

albatross (Orville!)

we had company...

the captain at the helm

Next we were treated to the visit of a huge school of Dusky Dolphins gathered in one area.  Several swam along side the boat, leaping out of the water again and again.   The crew said they were gathering to head north for the winter, and would be gone in a few days.  (How strange to think about animals going north for the winter.)

It was a beautiful, cool, sunny and eventful three-and-a-half hour tour.  Once transported back to the Whaleway Station, we grabbed some chow at the Whaler Bar and Restaurant and watched some rugby with the locals.  We went for a walk along the beach, which was covered in beautifully-rounded stones that pleasantly clacked beneath our feet.  Tim thought he spotted a whale off shore and had several bystanders gazing out at the same spot in the ocean.

We checked into our lovely B&B, hosted by Colin and Chris, who have been in the business for a long time and know how to do it right.  The rooms were in a separate little building in back of the main house, very elegantly decorated and facing a beautiful courtyard and gardens.  After dark we stood outside for some outstanding stargazing.