IMAGES: GETTY; NATASHA BAZIKA; JEFF KIRBY; CARLTON WARD; NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC; LUCA TETTONI/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES; ALAMY
THE DOGS SEEKING OUT THE WORLD’S RAREST DOLPHINS
JOIN A DOLPHIN-SPOTTING BOAT TRIP IN AKAROA, NEW ZEALAND, WHERE THE GUIDES COME FURRY AND FOUR-LEGGED. WORDS: NATASHA BAZIKA
Buster’s ears perk up as he paces the starboard, scanning the vast expanse of blue water. He’s seen something — or rather, heard it. “Dogs have remarkable hearing,” says George Waghorn, skipper and co-owner of nature cruise operator Akaroa Dolphins. “They can tune into the clicks and whistles of dolphins.” Buster angles his head towards the water,
as if eavesdropping on a conversation. His eyes fix on the surface and, sure enough, two dolphins emerge from the depths. Passengers rush to the side in excitement, but Buster remains composed, his duty — to spot Hector’s dolphins, the world’s smallest and rarest marine dolphins — fulfilled. Salt-and-pepper-coloured, with
svelte bodies and rounded dorsal fins,
Hector’s dolphins only venture up to around 30 miles from Akaroa Harbour, not far from Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island. The waters I find myself bobbing on are the only destination in which to observe some of the 7,000 or so left in the world. “Like us, the dogs follow a schedule,” says
George. Albie, his English springer spaniel, who joins us on the next cruise, has been sailing since he was barely out of puppyhood. “He’s well tuned to the dolphin’s frequency,” explains George, as Albie, splayed out next to me, hangs his head over the edge as far as it can go. Dolphin dogs like him undergo minimal formal training. “It’s more about nurturing their innate instincts.” READ MORE ONLINE
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