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