You can see dolphins up close in the Coromandel. This is the next in our series of posts which our students have written about their experiences in New Zealand.
The most awe-inspiring experience I have ever had in New Zealand is a boat trip to see dolphins. Even though it was winter, the weather was unexpectedly hot and sunny. We boarded a big ship and sailed near to the Coromandel. The crew scrutinized the horizon with binoculars and were on the lookout for every movement on the surface of the sea.
What I shall always remember is the shout of one of the crew members when he saw a small pod of dolphins. All people were incredibly enthusiastic! Dolphins were swimming just below the surface and/or jumping around the boat. They were extremely close so that it seemed it was unreal…like a dream. But seeing dolphins was certainly a dream which became true for most of the people.
To my mind, dolphins are beautiful and fascinating mammals. They are also known to be extremely friendly and clever.
The only regret I have is that it was unfortunately impossible to swim with them (but of course, we were in winter!). I dove and swam among the dolphins once in Mauritius. A 
memorable experience! I wish I could do the same in New Zealand… Why not next summer?!
To be continued…
Feature photo: “Dolphins, Bay of Isles” by Jakob Steinschaden is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The other two photos were taken by our students.
