Dolphin Astronomy

Tuesday morning, and I’m feeling the repercussions of not listening about the sunscreen. After a quick breakfast we head out to a local grocery store so I can buy some, because we will absolutely need it today.

That purchased, we head to the wharf where we meet our Whale and Dolphin Safari guides, and head out into the gulf. We opt to sit on the bow, despite warnings that we’re in the splash zone. I’ve already slathered myself in sunscreen, and I’m wearing a light jacket for the wind and spray. I should be good this time, right?

It’s not really foreshadowing if I outright tell you, but I wasn’t. I forgot my legs. I’m full lobster now.

But the aquatic safari was great before I realised my blunder. It was a four-hour cruise about the gulf in search for dolphins and/or whales, but the waters were pretty choppy, and we had to detour around a few islands to find calmer waters. This led to quite a few people getting seasick, and unfortunately not much by way of sightings. We were fine and hung out on the bow long after most people had left, enjoying the wind in our faces and the occasional spray. Eventually, our waiting paid off and we found a school of dolphins. I’ve seen them before, but never this close to the boat. They were really curious and kept coming back, which was fun to watch.

The safari has a guarantee that you’ll see something, or they’ll give you a rain check to come back another time, which doesn’t expire. And they could easily have been like, all y’all saw dolphins, you’re good. But they announced on the way back that they have a high standard there, and they didn’t feel we saw enough, plus the choppy water made a few people seasick, and they decided to give us all vouchers anyway. I’m sure a lot of them will go unused, but it was still pretty decent of them. But that’s kinda the vibe I get from Kiwis in general.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we catch a bus to the outskirts of town where we got tickets to the planetarium to see a show on constellations as part of the Māori culture. We didn’t, however, realise just how small the place was, and we allotted way too much time to see the exhibits before the show began. A lot of it was basic astronomy and exhibits for kids, but the part I really found interesting was how the constellations were used to tell the months/seasons, as well as for way finding. I wanted to see a lot more of that, but again, tiny museum. The show did go a bit more into it, but it was more of a talk with planetarium visuals than a film, and it was their first run, so… maybe next time.

Also, who knew Moana was a true story?