| Once in a while one's karma or destiny lines | | | | for Antonie. One must have touched him, |
| one up for an experience of a lifetime. In | | | | albeit gently, and he decided this was just |
| this case we felt it was more like divine | | | | too much. He cried out and made for the |
| intervention than anything else. | | | | shore. My daughter Maria, more or less level |
| | | | with me, saw her brother was in mild distress |
| Believe it or not in planning a trip to | | | | and forfeited a possible closer encounter |
| Tasmania and South Australia last year, I had | | | | with her favourite creature and helped him to |
| heeded my daughter's pleas to swim with | | | | the beach. My excuse was to stick with Julia, |
| dolphins by forking out a large amount of | | | | but I must be honest in saying I was more |
| money to have us all go out in a boat on a | | | | intent on my own personal encounter with a |
| tour, be tethered to a rope, and hope that | | | | dolphin than going to Antonie's rescue, my |
| dolphins would approach us. No guarantees, | | | | main justification being that he had just won |
| but money up front; this was to be in | | | | his first gala at school that year. All was |
| Adelaide, after our Tasmanian interlude. It | | | | resolved as Antonie could relate his story to |
| was perhaps the one single planned event that | | | | his mother on the beach as she nervously |
| we looked forward to more than anything else. | | | | aimed the video camera at our shrieks. |
| We made our momentous journey over three | | | | |
| days, in three planes, and one ferry (great | | | | Maria was rewarded by being able to return |
| excitement for the kids) over to Tasmania, | | | | the our pod of humans, while the dolphins |
| then to pick up a car and ride across the | | | | repeatedly visited the children by swimming |
| island to Hobart. Long, but delightful and, | | | | in and around them. I had taken Maria's |
| yes, I would do it again, frankly. | | | | goggles from her before she swam to shore, |
| | | | and for those precious, brief few minutes I |
| Meeting up with the cousins in Hobart was no | | | | had been able to focus somewhat on the larger |
| less of an exciting moment that anything up | | | | than imagined, highly agile bodies of the |
| until then. A few days into the holiday, kids | | | | dolphins beneath the water surface. |
| mooching around one hot afternoon, my | | | | |
| sister-in-law calls out loudly from her deck | | | | It was breathtaking and humbling. I was |
| overlooking Blackman's Bay. Dolphins in the | | | | constantly aware that these creatures are |
| water. Sixty seconds later, cousins, kids | | | | very much in control beneath the water. And |
| were on the beach and wading into the surf. I | | | | that I was not. As the two that made for |
| followed sensing this was going to be | | | | Antonie passed me so quickly, they both |
| something special. | | | | cocked their heads to check me out. I noticed |
| | | | them swim past him, towards the shoreline. In |
| I soon realised we were all slightly out of | | | | fact had they not turned when they did, they |
| our depth. Two of the children: my Antonie | | | | might have been washed onto the beach. Not |
| and cousin Julia could swim less efficiently | | | | likely. I have an indelible memory of their |
| than the others. Sadly Julia was ahead of me | | | | sleek bodies powerfully thrusting forward in |
| and calling for assistance. Antonie, now | | | | order to accelerate madly into the rushing, |
| behind, wanted my attention also. I knew he | | | | crashing waves that flowed over them. A sight |
| could swim towards me easily, and he was | | | | I shall not ever forget. |
| closer to shore, so I made for cousin Julia. | | | | |
| As I reached her they got to us. At least | | | | My wife stayed faithfully on the beach, until |
| three swam in and around our legs. I could | | | | we came out of the water, the dolphins having |
| feel them "brushing" against my skin, yet | | | | swam back out to sea. I suggested she swim |
| without touching me at all. The kids were | | | | out and see what would happen. Amazingly, as |
| shrieking and all I could think of doing was | | | | I filmed her, five dolphins spotted, or |
| diving down below the surface to get a | | | | sensed her lonely presence from more than |
| glimpse of one, and to perhaps touch one. | | | | five hundred metres out. Even now the sight |
| They were not going to have that happen and | | | | of them rushing towards her to investigate, |
| their agility and speed simply astounded me, | | | | filmed from far away, is breathtaking in its |
| notwithstanding many dolphins shows and | | | | sheer moment of excitement and anxiety. She |
| demonstrations since a child: nothing can | | | | kept her ground and for more than five |
| prepare you for the force and power of their | | | | minutes they swam around and beneath her, |
| physical presence when so near you, and in | | | | before giving a gymnastic display and then |
| the water. | | | | disappearing. |
| | | | |
| Two sped past and around me, deftly ducking | | | | Needless to say we canceled the booked tour |
| from my outstretched arms. They made straight | | | | in Adelaide. |