Swimming with dolphins, a tour organised by Eco & Cultural Tours, Stone Town, Zanzibar.

I have mentioned in previous postings that my wife is NOT
an early morning person.
Our pick-up for the Dolphin tour was 06h00…
far too early for her, so she had a nap in the foyer of our hotel
while we waited for our guide.

I, one the other hand, was out in the streets taking pictures.

It was a humid day and the aircon in our vehicle
caused this interesting effect.
Luckily, I knew what the problem was and once the condensation
on the lens had cleared we were ready to head off to search for Dolphins

Kizimkazi is a small village situated on the Southern coast of Zanzibar.
It is home to pods of both Bottle-nosed and Humpback Dolphins,
who use the area all year round both for feeding and nursing their young

The waters are crystal clear, making the sea floor look closer
than it actually is.
And, we hoped, would make spotting these elusive mammals easier

We were not the only ones out…
These fishing boats were already hard at the work.
The area abounds with schools of Anchovies and Flying Fish.
Another reason for the dolphins to call this “home”

Our “captain” for the outing.
I did not catch his name, but his boat handling skills were superb.

More working boats on the horizon

My wife keeping an eye out…
She wanted to be first in the water!

We were really lucky!
Remember that the Dolphins that live in these waters are wild.
They are not confined in anyway, neither are they offered food
as an enticement to stay with the boats.
They stay and interact as long as they feel comfortable.

And after a 40 minute boat ride,
we were able to spend time with this pod

My wife was in her element!

This youngster was watching her.

After spending a while with the pod, we headed back to the village.
This craft was “late” to the sighting and was travelling at speed.
From what I could see, wetting all those on board.
Not a great start to their experience.

This fellow was the absolute antithesis of the previous image.
He was bumbling along so slowly that I though he was standing still.
But he was moving, slowly and inexorably, towards his chosen spot.

Breakfast was included in the tour.

Tea, coffee and an omelette.
The fish was one that our guide had purchased for himself.
My wife and I enjoyed Spanish omelettes.

Some of the locals either going out or returning from fishing expeditions.

This boat might have gone out at some point in time.
Currently, it is going NOWHERE.

Another surprise…
On our way back to our vehicle, we discovered this huge Baobab Tree.
All in all, a wonderful day, made even better by great organization
from Eco & Cultural Tours.