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To Experience A Wild Dolphin
By Michelle Sachs of Ocean’s Essence
Just eight hours from Johannesburg lies the sleepy little village of Ponta D’Ouro in Southern Mozambique. It is here that one can experience swimming with wild dolphins in the open ocean on their own terms. There are no gimmicks or entertainment parks here. This is the pure wilderness and with it the true essence of what is means to experience a wild dolphin in it’s natural environment. The captive parks and showmanship of dolphinariums cannot even begin to compare to meeting such awesome grace and beauty that is a free, wild dolphin, joining you in the water just because it wants to.
We do not feed, herd or chase the dolphins. There are no pools or trainers with whistles to distract you. No loud music or hoops to swim through. This is the real deal, in the wild with dolphins who are respected and cherished. We launch the rubber duck out of Ponta D’Ouro bay and our skipper, Harry takes the lead in making sure everyone is safe while out at sea. We travel along the backline, just behind where the waves begin to form large swells before breaking onto the beach. This is where we hope to spot them, leaping and surfing the waves. Everyone has their eyes peeled, looking in all directions as waves take on the appearance of dolphin dorsal fins.
And then the cry goes out… “Dolphins!”
The boat slows and seemingly out of nowhere dark shapes break the surface and the distinctive “phooo” blow sound of dolphins breathing reaches us on the boat. Excited humans begin putting on fins and masks as Angie and Roxy first follow a strict Code of Conduct. They monitor the dolphins behaviour, taking note of the location, pod size and fin identifications of the individuals for the research project run by DolphinCare Africa. Once Angie has assessed the dolphins’ behaviour, Harry allows small groups of people to join the dolphins.
By doing it this way they are never overwhelmed by too many people.
Silently slipping into the water and looking down the first thing you notice is the sound. Cheeps, clicks and whistles penetrate the water and mingle with the sound of your own breathing through your snorkel. Grey shapes appear in the watery distance and slowly form into dolphins swimming towards you. Turning slightly onto your side you swim alongside them as they gently scan you with their echolocation. It feels so natural to be with them. Your arms are behind you, we never touch the dolphins out of respect for the bond they have with each other. Dolphin society is based on touch and we never interfere with that.
Time vanishes and you have no sense of where anyone else is or how far you are from the boat, it’s just you and the dolphins. You are totally focused on the here and now, everything else is just not important. It feels surreal when they come to you like that, for no other reason other than that they can. A few of the dolphins continue on by and two stay behind, they come in close and begin swimming in a circle with you, around and around you go. Two deep chocolate brown eyes look at you, into you and a feeling of total acceptance fills you up. This amazing acceptance of us into their environment is something that still stuns me to this day. The total lack of judgment and acknowledgement by such incredible beings is something we as humans are not use to. For most people this is the first time they have experienced true acceptance from anyone, for being just who they are. It’s overwhelming to many.
And then, all too soon, you are alone, the dolphins have moved off and you begin to become aware of the boat and other people in the water with you. It feels like you are surfacing from a delicious dream and suddenly you realize that you are tired and a little out of breath. You’ve been in the water for just under 20 minutes and it felt like hours and a few seconds all at the same time. Getting back on the boat you are greeted by smiling, happy people who have just been transported to another place and time.
My greatest joy is seeing the looks of absolute delight on everyone’s faces after the first swim and then hearing the exhilarated accounts of what it was like for THAT person to come face to face with a wild dolphin. It’s unique for everyone and each person comes away with their own story to tell and memories that last a lifetime. Most are changed forever by just experiencing dolphins in the wild. You cannot explain the changes that occur after the swim, but they are there and they are subtle. It’s something you should experience for yourself to truly understand the power and majesty of the dolphins and what it is they do to us. We want to be better people and do more for our planet and I believe that is their greatest lesson. To teach us what is precious and rare and make us want to preserve it before it is too late.
Contact Michelle Sachs on:
011 786-1268 or 082 458 1302 or [ Email ] for more information.
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