KEY POINTS:
A white water spout soars skyward off the starboard bow. The dense cloud of water vapour at its apex hangs suspended in the air, as a curved dorsal fin breaks the surface above a glistening black body.
Thirty pairs of eyes lock on to this long anticipated sight and cries of delight rend the air. "Thar she blows", "Whale ahoy", "Bryde's whales to starboard".
Three more spouts rise on the cool winter air and four black shapes are visible on the tossing sea. The "whoosh" as the huge creatures exhale stale air from their lungs is audible even at a distance of 500m. Seeing a whale that can grow to 14m in length and 26 tonnes in weight rising to the surface is truly one of nature's most magnificent sights.
There's always something mystical about a close encounter with a whale. But this particular sighting is all the more remarkable because it takes place within full view of Auckland's Sky Tower. We are cruising in Sail City's very own backyard. These great leviathans are not only New Zealand's largest resident mammals; they are our next-door neighbours.
Having made their dramatic entrance on Auckland's grandest stage and finest aquatic playground, the four Bryde's whales (pronounced broodas) hold their course away from our boat and disappear from view.
A pall of anticlimactic feeling descends on our assembled whale watchers. Heartbeats gradually slow and the flood of adrenalin disperses. This was to be my high point of cross-species mammalian bonding. But they're gone. We don't even get the classic tail-up display of dripping flukes that slide gracefully down to the depths. That iconic dive technique belongs to their cousins, the humpback and sperm whales.
The void is filled by a new sighting. A little blue penguin is drifting past the boat. It's not quite as lively as its "happy feet" nickname implies. In fact it's dead. Downcast faces follow its slow progress towards land on the inflowing tide. We are seeing nature in all its raw splendour today.
But all is not lost. This is a whale and dolphin safari and our dedicated crew of Keith Algie, A. J. Farrant and Magenta Hyde have more surprises in store for us. The whale superstars on the Hauraki stage are backed up by a fine cast of supporting actors.
The catamaran heads out to Tiritiri Matangi Island for an up-close experience of Hauraki Gulf's diverse marine life.Skipper Keith spelled out his philosophy in a briefing before we left the Viaduct Harbour.
"We are running an education programme where people can appreciate and understand the whales and dolphins that live in the Hauraki Gulf.
"You are from [the] USA, England, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, but today I want you to think of yourselves as a species - members of Mammalia. The dolphins and whales belong to the same species, and they have a tough life in the ocean. I promise that you will appreciate how cool it is to be human after this trip."
As the big catamaran powers out towards Tiritiri Matangi Island, we learn that the gulf is a biologically diverse marine park, with 22 species of marine mammal _ almost one-third of the world's species. There are over 600 resident dolphins who daily consume six to 10 tonnes of fish. They are warm-blooded mammals that must eat well to maintain their 37.2C body temperature.
Right on cue, a pod of common dolphins appears from nowhere, intent on riding our twin bow waves like living outriggers. A dozen of these friendly flippers, with glistening grey backs and pale cream bellies, are racing the boat, leaping in the air, turning, twisting and balancing like the true acrobats they are. Once more, everyone is hanging over the bow rails ecstatic with speechless wonder.
The skipper asks if anyone wants to swim with the dolphins, but, the water being a "fresh" 14C, there's no response. Keith observes that it's a religious experience for most people in winter, judging by the words that issue forth as a brave few enter the water.
The group of watchers remark on the strange innate desire that humans have to mingle with these playful intelligent creatures which have highly developed social groups and complex communications like ourselves. Remarkably, the dolphins and orcas seem to reciprocate the same cross-species affinity. They love to put on an acrobatic performance to amuse and delight us.
Keith has witnessed some quite moving sights over recent years. "Once we had an orca come up to the boat with a stingray in its jaws as if to say, `Here mate, have a feed'. Other orcas have rested their noses right on the stern board while eyeballing us. Another time we saw 500 dolphins suddenly shoot in the air and take off at top speed, obviously spooked by an orca or great white shark."
One of the most impressive spectacles the crew have witnessed is the multi-species `work up'. Dolphins herd a vast school of baitfish into a tight ball on the surface. Every red-blooded predator in the ocean salivates, pumps adrenalin and then goes berserk. Any whales, orcas and sharks within 2km of the scene begin a frenzied attack, scything through the seething mass of fish with snapping jaws.
Gannets come dive-bombing out of the sky at 140km/h, followed by shearwaters, petrels and terns. The poor baitfish draw the short straw in this life-and-death struggle, but their sheer numbers ensure survival of the species.
Nature has not performed that particular spectacle for us today, but others have seen it on earlier trips as the guest book records.
The experience left our group with a strong desire to continue the love affair with our next of fin.
Skipper Keith has the last word. "We want to believe that in 200 years these creatures will still be living out here and people will be able to see what we have seen today."
Paul Rush cruised the Gulf courtesy of Explore NZ.
- Detours, HoS
