Dolphins!

Around one of the bends along the Queen Charlotte Track, I could see down to a little cove that was full of dolphins. They were playing - leaping out of the water, twirling and jumping. I count at least 7 at the surface in this photo, but I reckon there were about 15 in all. They are magic. And how jealous are we of the woman in the kayak who had front row seats for the whole show?

There is a documentary film, The Cove, that is currently nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. (It in fact won the award.) It documents Japanese practices in brutally hunting, capturing and killing shocking numbers of wild dolphins. It has been in the news here recently, and so the film has succeeded in raising awareness of the problem. It made these moments I enjoyed seeing so many dolphins spontaneously and joyfully playing all the more poignant and special. I cannot believe anyone hunts and kills dolphins when they are so clearly and incredibly beautiful. Just the fact that they are one of only two species that have sex just for fun - that should be enough to get them a free pass!

What a special day I was blessed with on the Queen Charlotte Track.