Tuesday, July 11 - No Mountain High Enough for Whale Watching

11 July 2017
Today, we got up early to drive to Kaikoura (In Maori, Kai means food and koura means crayfish). Despite a cold start to the day, we had a smooth 3-and-a-half-hour drive before arriving at the Kaikoura peninsula to explore on a beautiful, sunny day! Much of the seabed around this peninsula was uplifted during an earthquake in November, which explains the slippery sea floor plants and algae on the rocks that are now exposed at low tide! Most of this area was not previously visible.

Tatiana and Isabella exploring the peninsula

A mudfish inside Paua shell!

Camila with some sleepy New Zealand fur seals

Afterwards, most of the group set off on a hike to learn about the Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust. The shearwater is an endangered bird which only breeds in the Seaward Kaikora mountain range between elevations of 1200-1800 meters. While I wasn’t there, Dr. Hostetler filled me in on the project. A few years ago, a few shearwater chicks were moved to a predator proof nesting site on the peninsula with the hope that they would come back to that site to breed. While controversial and expensive, the project proved a success, as it established a third nesting site and greatly increased the shearwater’s chance of survival.

Instead of hiking to the predator proof site, Isabella, Camila, and I went whale-watching! Our boat was called the Tohora, which means Southern right whale in Maori. While we didn’t see any right whales, we saw a sperm whale named Tiaki twice, and a humpback! We also saw a pod of 400-600 dusky dolphins which swam right up to the boat!

Isabella and Camila ready to spot some whales

Tiaki the sperm whale

There he goes

So many dolphins!!

After whale-watching, we re-joined the rest of the group and drove to the Takahenga Marae, where we would be staying the night. We partook in a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony, in which our host, Brett, gave us a background on his iwi and the land in the Maori language. The Maori people sang a traditional song. Dr. Hostetler also gave a short background on our group and then we sang a song of our own (Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – a cappella, with snapping). We then did a hongi (a traditional handshake with pressing of forhead and noses) with each person and had an afternoon tea ceremony. We were now active keepers of the Marae for the night! Sorry, it isn’t considered respectful to take any pictures!
- Allison (~:

P.S. From Meryl, here is Brett about to lead us on our hike up the peninsula to see the Hutton's Shearwater project, and here is also a picture of a whitebait pancake that our students got to try.