Hurray! We are off to see some whales. It was a dreary day, surprise...surprise.
We were constantly surrounded by rolling hills. Actually, I was never sure what they were called. It was almost a hill-mountain hybrid. Regardless of the name, it was beautiful.
Old Faithful
The bus that got us from A to Z (we drove a lot).
On the road again....and again...and again...
A quick stop for lunch and a stretch of the legs - we found a beautiful church. And look, the skies are blue!
We arrived in Kaikoura and checked in for our tour. The gentleman that checked us in asked if we got sea sick. He proceeded to share how a woman, on a tour earlier that day, passed out due to sea sickness. We loaded up with sea-sick combating drugs and boarded the boat. I've been on a fair share of boats, but never have I experienced much rough waters. At first it was fun, it felt like a mini-roller coaster. But after awhile, the "fun" wore off. Even though I had taken Dramamine, my stomach was in knots. Thankfully we were able to walk outside and the fresh air worked wonders!
Inside and ready to see a whale. This particular company has a policy - see a whale or 80% refund. I like those odds!
The beast we were looking for. The Sperm Whale is the largest toothed whale.
Oh look, more rain.
My cousin Emily and I. We're on the look out. I kind of felt like Captain Ahab from Herman Melville's Moby Dick.
A sister boat of ours. We were hot on a whale's trail and this boat was following us.
An underwater listening device - attempting to find a whale.
Our wonderful tour guide told us to scan the horizon for a cloud of water that looked like a ghost. This cloud of water would be a whale breathing. I'd say that was a success!
Sperm whales can stay underwater for well over an hour. In order to stay underwater, they need to come to the surface and "refill" their lungs. During the "refill", this is when tourists spot them. This particular whale was at the surface for about three or four minutes - at least that is how long our boat saw him.
My friend the whale waving good-bye.
On our way into the harbor, I found some friends. These energetic dolphins seemed to be racing our boat.
After our whale watching excursion, we took a leisurely walk along the coast. Enjoying the blue skies and regaining our balance after our "roller coaster" boat ride.
On the drive to whale watching, I spotted a seal. Part of the drive was along the coast. Wanting to see as much wildlife as possible, we pulled off and went exploring. There were seals everywhere!
The sun came out and provided the perfect conditions for sun bathing.
I guess they are fighting over whose rock is whose...boys!
*Photo-Credit: Kristin Campbell
