Cille Fabert of Dolphin Seafaris has launched bubble tours. Photo / Supplied
Cille Fabert of Dolphin Seafaris has launched bubble tours. Photo / Supplied
Cille Fabert is hoping to cure Bay of Plenty residents' cabin fever of the Covid-19 lockdown with a dose of fresh ocean air, sea spray and wildlife.
The owner of Tauranga-based Dolphin Seafaris has begun what she calls 'bubble tours' to allow her tourism business to operate in an alert level 2 world.
The dolphin watching tours allow a maximum of 10 friends and family of the same extended bubble to share the experience together.
Like many tourism businesses, Fabert's income disappeared overnight when the country went into alert level 4.
"We normally run our season until mid-May but due to Covid we had to finish up two months early," she said.
"As soon as level 2 was announced I had so many people asking if we were going to come back, which was encouraging," she said.
"We were lucky enough to see a pygmy blue whale on one the other day ... lockdown has given us all a greater appreciation for nature."
Fabert said she loved taking locals out on the water because of the joy it brings to experience their "salty backyard" for first time.
"I love hearing how amazed locals are at the beauty of the wildlife in the Bay of Plenty. I'm constantly told that folk who've lived here their whole life didn't know that getting out on our ocean you can see dolphins, orca, sharks, sunfish and turtles all in a day."
In October 2019, Fabert chartered new territory when Dolphin Seafaris was the first tourism operator in the North Island to be awarded the Department of Conservation's SMART (Sustainable Marine Mammal Actions in Recreation & Tourism) accreditation for the business' commitment to minimising the disturbance of marine animals.
"I believe that it's in the best interests of the animals and my business if our interactions can be kept as wild and authentic as possible."
A portion of each Dolphin Seafari booking goes towards marine conservation charity Project Jonah. Since the partnership began in November last year, the business has donated more than $4000 to the charity.
Project Jonah helps marine mammals during strandings and has pioneered globally renowned rescue techniques which it teaches in its Marine Mammal Medic course offered at Toi Ohomai in Tauranga.
Ten days before the alert level 4 lockdown began, Project Jonah taught 60 new Marine Mammal Medics funded by Dolphin Seafaris' donations.
"When I started this business, I made it my mission to contribute to the education of our future guardians of the sea.
