surfing with dolphins

early friday morning: 25.02.2011

i was picked up at 5am, with a sense of urgency to get out to the east

coast; there was the big, clean, tail end of a tropical

cyclone swell hurrying us along our way.

mike, chris & i drove up to mangawhai heads, just as we got to

the bar we could see it was pumping, even in the morning's darkness.

just as the sun was coming up we were paddling out. with

the view of perfect 4 foot oily-glass waves peeling over the bar

as we got out the back we were all

startled to see a big fin coming towards us.

only to be relieved, and excited to see more fins,

which were a pack of big hector dolphins.

they were swimming around our feet, and playing in the waves as we

caught them, and as you duck dived through waves we could hear

them talking with each other. chris snapped his board on his first wave.

just as he did, and held the 1 foot that was left of his board

out of the water, a dolphin leaped out of the water 10 feet

through the back of the wave.

i was pretty wrapped I had my underwater

film camera with me, in the back of my wetsuit.

here are a few shots of what I got as the sun was coming up,

and of a 'secret' spot we surfed later in the day.

we surfed 3 times that day.

getting great waves, with some great mates.

a truly special day

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