Hello Mr Smith and Class 3A...

Hello class 3A, 

First of all i am am sorry i have taken so long to reply to your questions about working in Kaikoura. I have been very busy lately working for 6 days! It is finally my weekend so i thought i would take the time to reply to you all. 

I was very excited to receive all of your questions and i am hoping that you are all enjoying your topic on 'The Sea'. I thought this would be a good way to respond to each of you, i hope i don't miss anyone out, so here goes...

1. have you seen any baby dolphins and whales? (Kirsten)
Well the answer is yes! Dusky dolphins have their young in the spring (September- November) i arrived here in the middle of November and therefore i've seen lots of new calves. During our training week we were also lucky enough to see a juvenile humpback whale which was pretty cool. 

2. Have you seen Killer whales hunting? (Phoebe)
Before i came to Kaikoura my friend Sarah managed to get some good video of an Orca (Killer Whale) chasing a young dusky dolphin. luckily the dolphin managed to get away, but the Orca was trying to chase it and tire it out. I have seen the Orca chasing a seal, fortunately the seal also managed to get away. The Orca are mainly in the area to feed on their favourite prey the Sting Ray.

3. What size are the whales brains? (Alex)
This is a very good question and as there are lots of different types of whales which are all different sizes this means their brains are all different sizes to. The biggest whale is the Blue whale, it is the largest living creature on the planet and since i've been here we've had about 6 pass through the area, unfortunately i havn't seen one yet but i'll keep my eyes peeled. I have however seen the Sperm whale: 
 

 The brain is the largest known of any modern or extinct animal, weighing on average about 7.8 kilograms (17 lb), more than five times heavier than a humans, big enough to park a car inside!

4. What is your favorite sea creature? (Evie)

This is a very tricky question as i love most sea creatures as they are all pretty incredible. However i would say my new favorite sea creature is the Orca. The Orca (Killer whale) is actually a dolphin. It is the largest of the dolphin species. I saw my first pod on the last day of last year and it was a real treat. These animals bolt through the water and move in pods like an army. They can reach speeds of upto 55km an hour and can dive to about 600m. We saw them surface for about 5-10 minutes, swimming along the side of the boat, the water was very clear, and then they took a final breath and disappeared vertically down into the depths of the ocean. They feed on 3 species of ray, shark, fish and other marine mammals. 

(This picture was NOT taken by me, but it shows the sting ray the Orca feed on)



5. How many different whales and dolphins have you seen? 
I have seen 22/ 86  species of cetacean (whales/dolphins and porpoises)









6. How high can dolphins jump? (Alex)

The Dusky dolphin is very acrobatic at the surface. I see them every day somersaulting it's incredible to watch: click here to see it for yourselves! :-), I've seen them jumping to at least 3m!

7. have you caught or seen any sharks? (Samuel M.)
I havn't caught any sharks, but i have definitely seen some. In Kaikoura we see the Blue sharks. Here is a photograph (not my own) but it shows how we see them at the surface of the water (they are fairly elusive and we haven't seen one for a while.

8. How long have you been in New Zealand? (Katie)
I have been in New Zealand since the 5th of November (bonfire night!) so far about 4 months :-). I will be working for another month and a half and then i will travel for 2 and a half months. I am very excited to see more of this country.

9. What colour are the boats? (Josh T)
The boats we take people out on to swim with or watch the dolphins are mainly white, they are all different sizes and some have dolphins painted on the side. Lissodelphis is a catermaran and can carry 40 passengers and is about 13m long. Delphinidae can carry 35 passengers and is 13.5m long. Kotoku is a smaller jet boat and can carry 14 passengers she is about 9m long.







10. Have you seen a Humpback whale? (Owen M)
Only the one we saw during our training week! I was lucky to see this juvenile humpback whale as they are only really seen in Kaikoura between May and September.

11. What different sizes are the whales? (Charlie)
Whales are all different sizes, the largest being the Blue whale can reach upto 33.6m! The Sperm whales can reach upto about 18m.

12. How many boats are there? (Stuart B) 
Encounter Kaikoura own 4 vessels. 3 of these are used for dolphin watching and swimming tours and the other is used to take people out to watch the albatross and seabirds. Kaikoura is one of the best place sin the world to watch oceanic birds.

13. How many hours do you work a day? (Alex D)
Now this depends on how busy we are. The company operates 3 tours daily. The first tour goes out at 5:30, then 8:30 and the last tour is at 12:30. On average i work about 45 hours per week.

14. What is the busiest day? (Joe)
The busiest time for us is around the weekend when people tend to have weekend trips away. However we are busy most days of the week.

15. What species of Dolphin have you seen? (Samuel V)
While i have been in Kaikoura i have seen the Dusky dolphin, the Hectors Dolphin, the Common Dolphin, the Oceanic Bottle Nose dolphin and the Orca!

16. What colours can the dolphins be? (Alex)
Dolphins can be lots of different colours, they can have different patterns and different features. The dusky dolphins are a greyish colour with white stripes along their sides, they also have a very white belly. The Hectors dolphins ( shown in the picture above) are the smallest and the rarest of the dolphin species and they can only be found around the coats of New Zealand, they are mainly light grey with a dorsal fin shaped like Micky Mouse's ear! 

17. Have you got any pets? (Mollie M)
I have some chickens back home in England but unfortunately i do not have any pets in New Zealand. My landlord keeps his dogs in our back yard, they are both hunting dogs and they are called Sage and Buster. Recently they have been joined by a white chicken which seems to have come through the fence from next door, they are new best friends, it's pretty sweet. I will be travelling around when i finish work so i won't be able to look after any pets. But there is plenty of wildlife to keep me happy!

18. Have you been scuba diving? (Sam K)
I havn't been scuba diving here, but my friend and i did go snorkelling after work the other day. We saw lots of fish and the sea weed looked like an underwater forest. We also collected a couple of Paua shells.
 

19. Do you name the animals? 
We do not name the Dusky dolphins as there are so many of them. However we do photograph the Orca when they come through the area. Orca can have very large dorsal fins (upto 2m high), these can get cut or marked and their shape can change. We have manage to create a poster to help us identify the Orca we have seen more than once, one is named 'Corkscrew' as his fin is twisted slightly. The Company which take people out to see the whales also name the sperm whales they see in the area as they tend to stay in the Kaikoura area and they don't often move to other places.

20. What was it like finding the squid? (Kirsten) 
I did not find the giant squid, it was found by a couple from Christchurch who were fishing. They managed to bring it to shore so that everyone could have a look. It was amazing!
Click here to read and watch more about the giant squid... 

21. What are the visitors on the boat like? (Katie M)
We get hundreds of visitors pass through our doors from all over the world everyday. They are lovely and i have met some very inspirational people. During the tours we talk about travel and places to visit in new Zealand and people tell me about places they have been or are going to. I really enjoy meeting new people everyday it is very interesting.

22. What sort of food do you eat in New Zealand? (Josh T)
Kaikoura is a coastal town. The name 'Kaikoura' translates to 'meal of crayfish' ('kai'- food/meal, 'koura' - crayfish. Lots of local people spend their time fishing, i have tasted the Butter fish, Blue cod, Hake, Crayfish, Prwans and Paua, which have all been delicious. However there is also lots of simlar food to the food i eat in England, the supermarkets sell lots of the same types of food they sell in England.

Here is a picture of a crayfish:
 

23. Have you seen any other wildlife? (Samuel M)
Yes i have seen lots of New Zealand Fur Seals, i have also seen an Ocean Sunfish which was pretty cool as they are very strange looking creatures as you can see from the pictures below:






(these pictures were not taken by myself - they give you an idea of the size an ocean sunfish can get!)

24. What's your favourite whale? (Blake M)
Now this is a very tricky question! I LOVE THEM ALL! i love the humpback whales because they can be very active at the surface, lifting up their big pectoral fins and breaching (jumping clear out of the water), the sperm whales are also cool as when they dive they tend to show their amazing tail flukes, and you can get some really good pictures! (the pictures below were not taken by me!)


25. What types of fish have you seen? (Calum H)
I have seen Butter fish, Mackeral, Hoki and Barracuda, along with some smaller stripey fish when i was snorkelling. the picture shows a Hoki.






 



26. Have you seen any starfish?
Yes i have seen some starfish, mainly in the rockpools along the coastline. They are very beautiful and can be found in lots of different colours.

27. Have you been in the water with any dolphins? (Grace B) 
I certainly have! It was an experience that i will never forget. We are very lucky as we get to swim on our days off! I was a bit nervous that the water would be really cold, but my wetsuit kept me from getting too cold. I was so excited as i jumped in, under the surface of the ocean it was silent and it was incredible to see these dolphins swimming and playing in their natural environment. I could even here the clicks and high pitched noises they made. They swam very close. I could see their eye balls as they cam towards me, they were very interested in me and swam around me in circles. They are very fast and it was impossible to keep up with them! It was one of the best experiences iv ever had! 
Click here to see what it's like to swim with the dusky dolphins as soon as you get up in the morning. This video was produced by one of customers who wanted to share his experience! 




 this is my own photograph! :-)

28. What colour was the giant squid?
The giant squid was very colourful, mainly oranges, pinks and reds.
This image shows the couple who found the giant squid while they were fishing:


















The giant squid is what the local sperm whales feed on. This image shows the giant squid defending itself against a sperm whale.


I  hope that you have been inspired by and enjoyed your lessons with Mr Smith about the under water world and its incredible creatures. Now it's time for you to find out more for yourselves. Remember asking questions is very important. I hope you will be able to swim with the dolphins in Kaikoura one day or see whales and dolphins in the ocean through your own eyes. Most importantly i hope that you understand that it is important for us to protect these creatures and keep our oceans clean.

Thanks for reading
Jenny :-)

"Pop of the Antarctic" returns :-)

JUST WOW!
click here for pictures and experiences :-)

Sperm Whales of New Zealand: On my doorstep... this is going on...

Sperm Whales of New Zealand: Archie joins the science crew: Sperm whale at the surface. (Luis Lamar, Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab, WHOI) Today has been another full day here over the ...

"How are you ever going to do exciting things if you spend all your time just thinking about them?" (quote from the book im reading atm :-))

This week we've been having some good encounters with huge numbers of dusky dolphin. Each day at work, i look around my office (the coastline of Kaikoura, surrounded by incredible oceanic birds, magical mountains and the interesting creatures which dwell in the oceans of this part of the world) and pinch myself. Even when our passengers are dealing with their seasickness and they hand over their bucket, i always look up towards the horizon out to the east and think about where i am...its stunning and i shouldnt take it for granted as it won't last forever...

The last few days have also allowed us to view the common dolphin. For the resident guides this is fairly normal, but since i've been here we've only seen 1 random common dolphin lost amongst a pod of 400 duskies. As im crazy about cetaceans any new species in the area is good and i get excited :-) (iv seen common dolphins before, its just good to see them in comparison to the other species, close up).

The common dolphin is bigger than the duskies, about 2.7m, they have an hourglass shape along their sides which is yellow, this is bordered below by whiter flanks. They have a rounded melon with a distinct beak. They swim very fast, and they are aerially acrobatic. When we observed this species there were about 15 individuals, they were travelling with about 300+ dusky dolphins and above them flew hundreds of birds (which included Bullers shearwater, White chinned petrels, Huttons shearwaters and a very cute juvenile wondering albatross) This is is how they are often seen in amongst feeding frenzie, looking for various species of fish, squid and krill. A few came into the front of the boat to bow ride, i managed to get a picture, its not the best but you can see the hourglass shape. I also managed to get a picture of the birds which flew above them. There was so much action, so much going on, i told  people to remember to at some point put down their cameras and take in the moment.

this is very true x

more cards and gifts from accross the oceans...

growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional :-)

On Monday 18th of February it was my 27th birthday. Gosh i don't feel 27! I received some beautiful cards from friends and family. Being away has really made me reslise the importance of my fabulous friends and my incredible family. I cant wait to see you all and give you all a huge hug! Luckily i had a half day at work and headed straight for the store, grabbed some cider and bubbly and sat on the decking in the sunshine. My friend Steffie and i popped the cork and i made a wish ;-).... the sun started to set, the mist moved accross the mountains and my new zealand playlist played in the background. It was perfect. I just wished for that moment, just for a night, that i could have transported you all from wherever you were, to our little deck in Kaikoura to join in the celebrations.

Unfortunately this would have only been possible through magic and fantasy, so instead i decided to surround myself with the beautiful cards and gifts i received from you all.
i really appreciate each and every thought, each and every gift and message via facebook.
you are all wonderful THANK YOU X

A beautiful under water world...

My friend Sarah and i had finished work and she really wanted to go snorkelling, i wasn't that botherd as i love the ocean, but i prefer to be on it and not IN it. But she told me to go for it and that it would be fun, im so glad i did.

Iv done some snorkelling in Kenya before, ther the water was much warmer. The reef in kenya was stunning, there were lots of parrot fish and as we snorkelled we carried out research on the number of and types of turtles which were in the area. I visited Kenya back in 2008, and cannot wait to return one day.

So i found myself hoisting up a wetsuit at the jetty near South Bay. We ended up having a wicked time. there were not as many fish around as we would have liked, but there were a few, it was just nice to be below the surface of the water. I really wanted to see an octopus but unfortunately we didnt come accross one. However we did see some beautiful paua shells glistening on the ocean floor.

There was a lot of kelp and marine vegetation which looked like an under water forest. It was silent and beautiful and i could have stayed there for longer. Im so glad i took the opportunity, we laughed so much. Sarah is a wicked wildlife photographer so she bought her underwater camera and capture the moment, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, it was so invigorating. It makes me realise that you will never do exciting things in life if you spend all your time just thinking about them. So say YES next time you're offered an exciting opportunity.

posting a smile...

I received a lovely card, well cards today, such a treat, made me smile :-), Today we had Orca and pilot whale pass through Kaikoura again, Orca have passed through the last 4saturdays in a row now, bit of a pattern forming, maybe they'll become our resident population. It would be wicked to tag them and see where they're travelling to. Apparently there's been an increase of sting ray in the area which is their favourite prey, so that's a likely reason, we're not complaining x

an influx of the Portuguese Man of War!

First of all sorry for the lack of updates, our internet has been very slow lately.

So in the last 4 months i have never seen the Portuguese Man of War until yesterday when we had 4/5 seperate incidents of people getting stung. We checked the ocean and sure enough there was a great number of these jellyfish like creatures, they are also known as blue bottles. Its venomous tentacles can deliver a powerful sting.

The Portugues Man of War lives at the surface of the ocean, the gas filled bladder remains at the surface whilst everything else is submerged. This creature has no means to move itself so it relys on winds and currents, it can be found anywhere in the ocean, especially in warmer waters. The water around the coast of Kaikoura is normally approximately 16 degrees however the last few days the temperature has increased to 18/19degrees. These creatures are most commonly found in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. They are mainly found in large numbers and sometimes washed up onto beaches, which could cause the beach to be closed.

The blue bottle can paralyze small fish using the venom in its long tentacles, stings usually cause sevee pain to humans. The loggerhead turtle feeds on the blue bottles, the logger heads skin is too thik for the sting to penetrate.

So although pretty cool to see at sea, unfortunately these guys can be a big hazard, so for future trips we'll keep our eyes peeled and hopefully we wont swim into too many more. We managed to get a few to show in the Kaikoura Aquarium for people to see. They are pretty strange as you can see...

(pic from internet)

today an alien landed from the deep...

Today was amazing, one of the fisherman went out in his boat this morning, and off an area called 'sharks tooth' he spotted something strange floating at the surface. As he got closer he new he was looking at a giant squid, im sure he was wide eyed and pretty gob smacked! He managed to tow it back slowley to the jetty at South Bay. Word spread quickly.

These guys mainly spend their life on the bottom of the ocean floor. Adult giant squid come to breed in New Zealand waters, females can grow 13 m tentacle to tail and can weigh 300kg. Their huge eyes can be 30 cm accross, are designed so that they can pick up large flashes of light created by other fish in the deep waters. This creature has the largest eyes of any living thing, bar the colossal squid.

This giant squid measured about 8m in length, and is thought to have been attacked by another squid because of the bite marks it had near its head. This squid had 8 arms and 2 huge tentacles. Each arm is lined with hundreds of suction cups varying in size, each of these cups has its own teeth which help the squid to latch onto its prey. The giant squid is the main prey of the sperm whale, which often has visible scars created by these suction units. The giant squid catch their prey by using their 2 huge tentacles.

These giant squid can be found in most oceans of the world. From the northern British Isles, and northern Atlantic, through to the Southern Atlantic around the coasts of South Africa. They can be found in the North Pacific around waters of Japan, through to the Western Pacific around New Zealand. First photographs of these creatures alive were produced in 2004 and video in 2006.

It was like something had landed. This creature was incredible, beautiful yet grotesque to look at. I thought about what it must have seen through its huge eyes, which type of encounters in the deep it must of had. The way the creature was put together was amazing. Not many people have had the opportunity to see these creatures dead or alive, so today was a very special day.  The giant squid was being kept in the Kaikoura aquarium, where many children and adults throughout the day have been able to view, touch, and smell this alien of the ocean. Although unfortunately this creature had died, it will and has created alot of excitement amongst the community. Preserving this giant squid will mean that lots of people get to learn about this inctedible creature and be inspired to learn more about, and explore our oceans.

Aliens really do exist!

spot the kiss x