Dolphins!

One of the most incredible experiences I have had so far was getting to swim with Hector's dolphins in Akaroa. The dolphins are incredibly playful and are really intrigued by humans...the more you swim around and sing/talk to them the more they will swim by to have a close look at the weird humans in snorkel masks and fins. They took my breath away, both from the surprise of seeing them come within 3 feet of your face out of the very murky water, and also because of their grace and beauty. I wish I could say I personally took these photos, but that would be a lie...these are my roomate Kalinka's who works on the boats every summer taking people like me out on trips to swim with the dolphins. But this is actually what I got to see...amazing.

Just to give you a sense of how close we got to the dolphins...