“WE’RE not here to look for dolphins and whales. Instead, please be on the lookout for large flocks of birds in the horizon.”
The announcement catches everyone on the boat by surprise. Just hours earlier, we had all queued up happily at the Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari ticketing office, located near the Maritime Museum, hoping to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see marine mammals up close.
Then, just when the boat is halfway out of Auckland Harbour, this announcement came. The downcast faces of those onboard speak volumes of their disappointment. Some appear to be in a daze while others are at a loss for words.
But then, the voice over the PA system continues: “It’s practically impossible to locate dolphins in the vast ocean. Trying to pinpoint their dorsal fins which appear mere centimetres above the water surface is like searching for a tiny needle in a very, very large haystack. The task is practically next to impossible!”
Our spirits soar once again when the announcer continues to explain that dolphins are efficient hunters capable of ensnaring large schools of fish by circling around them before going in for the kill. Sea birds like gannets are opportunistic feeders which join in the feast once the dolphins have done all the hard work.
“As a result, it’s definitely easier for us to be on the look out for large bird flocks. The birds will point us in the direction to where the dolphins are feeding. With some luck we may even see one or two migrating whales,” the voice explains as we all start scanning the distant waters.
The minutes pass but there’s still no sign of any bird apart for the occasional lone black wing tern that swoops past gracefully while riding the gentle oceanic breeze. Several people near me start to lose interest and decide to go indoors for a rest.
The rest of us, however, remain steadfast in our endeavour. Each one of us harbours the hope of getting the honour of calling out the first significant flock sighting.
Suddenly, the colour of the ocean starts to change quite dramatically. The dark blue water begins to acquire a slightly greenish tinge. After a few minutes, it becomes obvious to us that the skipper is starting to steer the vessel in the direction where the ocean water has changed the most.
Soon after, we see a couple of crew members walking briskly towards the stern of the boat. A few of us decide to follow them out of curiosity. The two young women identify themselves as graduate students from a local university.
As they prepare to launch a fine mesh net into the ocean depths, one of them explains that our paid passage on the Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari has given them the opportunity to come onboard and conduct their research on a complimentary basis.
NATURAL CYCLE
According to the students, the colour of the water is a good indicator of the ocean’s health.
“The slightly green colour shows that the water is rich with phytoplankton. The millions upon millions of tiny green plants perform photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight and supply a large portion of earth’s oxygen requirements. At the same time, these microscopic plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help to reduce global warming as well as greenhouse effect,” one of them explains.
While biding time for the net to gather adequate samples, the students tell us that the phytoplankton form the very beginning of the food chain in the ocean.
These tiny producers are then consumed by a group of primary consumers called zooplanktons, which are primarily the tiniest animals in the world. As the oceanic food chain progresses further, the zooplanktons are devoured by larger consumers like fish, shrimp and even whales!
“Can you imagine that? The world’s largest animals feeding directly on the smallest of creatures on this planet!” one of the students exclaims as she starts to reel in the line.
All of us rush to the edge of the railings and are just in time to see the net and the plastic-collecting bottle attached to its end make their appearance on the water’s surface.
“This is a very good sign! Look at the number of zooplanktons in the water sample,” one of the students announces jubilantly as the rest of her “team” shows us the bottle filled with thousands of tiny white specks moving in the water.
“The waters off New Zealand’s coast is very healthy. This large quantity of food is a good indicator that there are lots of fish in the vicinity. When there’s fish, there are bound to be dolphins and whales as well!” she quips.
Suddenly, one of the passengers standing on the port side of the boat exclaims loudly: “I can see the birds! I can see the birds!” He uses his binoculars to gesture towards the eastern horizon. The rest of us who came unprepared turn our heads towards the direction where he’s pointing. For many of us with unaided vision, we could only see a large dark blob in the distance.
The skipper must have been alerted of the sighting as our boat once again veers to the left and starts heading towards the large mass which seems to be getting larger by the minute. Time seems to stand still on the boat as we all wait impatiently.
At the same time, an announcement over the PA system reminds us not to be overly excited as there’s a possibility that we may have arrived at the tail end of the feeding frenzy. By then, the dolphins could have left the scene, leaving the birds to feed on the little scraps left in the water.
We remain quiet as we stand by the railing and look intently at the flock of birds in the distance. I’m sure all of us are praying hard for the dolphins and whales to be present when we arrive. This ocean safari is the highlight of our New Zealand visit and the chance to see the aquatic mammals with our very own eyes would be a dream come true.
DOLPHIN DELIGHTS
“I see dolphins! I see dolphins!” a young woman screams, jumping up and down the deck in delight. Everyone rushes to her side and are rewarded with the sight of a trio of bottlenose dolphins swimming beside the boat. The graceful creatures dart playfully in and out of the water as they try to outrace each other.
The once clear blue sky turns dark the moment our boat closes in on the feeding area. There are thousands of birds flying all over the place, each one of them keeping a sharp eye out for fish swimming just below the water surface. Then, they swoop down in unison, folding their wings just at the last moment before their bodies hit the water like arrows.
I trace the movement of a nearby gannet as it disappears underwater, leaving a stream of bubbles in its wake. A few moments later, it bobs back to the surface, just in time for me to see the shiny sheen of a tail before it vanishes into the bird’s mouth. The gannet, which closely resembles the English booby, looks at me momentarily before flapping its wings and soaring up into the air once again to scour the water for its next prey.
Amidst the relentless aerial acrobatics, we watch in awe as groups of three or more dolphins start to make their appearance. A graduate student standing near me explains that there are two different types of dolphins present in the water.
“The common dolphin is easily recognisable with its dark back and white belly. On each of its sides is an hourglass pattern which is light yellow in front and dark grey at the back. In spite of their names, these playful mammals are not the most easily seen in the waters around New Zealand. That distinction goes to the larger bottlenose dolphin that you can see swimming over there,” she explains pointing to a quartet that had just appeared out of nowhere.
The larger bottlenose dolphin lives in pods typically consisting of between 10 and 30 members. Just like the common dolphin, they also work as a team, using echolocation to harvest fish schools. This sonar-like technique, which involves a series of squeaks and whistles, is also employed to determine the location of potential prey.
A quarter of an hour later, the feeding activity starts to slow down significantly. “Is it over?” a teenage boy asks dejectedly. One of the boat’s crew members replies: “Not just yet. The fish are very smart. They’re now seeking refuge under the boat. The skipper knows this and he’ll move the boat away in just a bit. Better get your cameras ready to take great photographs everyone!”
We spend a little more than an hour enjoying the feeding spectacle before moving away. This time, however, we get a personal announcement from the skipper telling us that he’d be taking a different route home and hopefully we’d be able to locate some whales along the way.
PROTECTING OUR MARINE LIFE
Once again, we all line the lower deck and keep our eyes peeled for water spouts that indicate a surfacing whale. Unfortunately, none made an appearance. Despite that, I’m just happy to have had the chance to see and learn so much about the many different organisms that make up the ocean’s fragile ecosystem.
As the boat steadily makes its way back towards Auckland Harbour, I take some time to reflect on the fate of the dolphins.
These smart marine creatures are said to have the second largest encephalisation level among mammals after humans. Their near-similar brain ratios with humans and great apes allow them to exhibit complex emotions as well as an incredibly high level of intelligence. In some parts of the world, dolphins are known to cooperate with fishermen by driving fish into nets and devouring the ones that escape.
Sadly though, these close encounters with humans also cause their downfall. There are still places in this world where dolphins are hunted for food. Others inadvertently drown when they become ensnared in nets or fish traps.
The protection of our precious marine resources is an ongoing affair. More must be done to create awareness among the public. Each and every one of us has crucial roles to play in ensuring that this unique marine diversity continues to thrive for many generations to come.