My events of the Sea Type!!

From 1975 to 2002 I was on the Briny, sailing on Ships of the Realm.  And during those years I was blessed to see many Sea Creatures,  both Mammal and Fish.

My earliest contact with these creatures was Dolphins Bow Riding on our Survey Motor Launches whilst surveying off Great Barrier Island. Soon after we were in company (HMNZS Tarapunga and Takapu) and sailing north from Bluff Harbour and Takapu's bow went down in the bow and the dipping vessel meant as it lifted out a very very very Large Bottlenose Dolphin was stranded on the focsle.  Regrettably all we could do was to drag in on a tarpaulin to the after doorway, - she was bleeding from mouth and blow hole. It took nearly 40 minutes to get her back in the ocean but prognosis was not too well.

Not long later I was blessed with a close up look of Orca and whanau in the Awanui River. These Orca were a family group and well up the Awanui River (near Kaitaia)

Soon after I happened to view a large Pod Of Whales (possibly Gray) south east of Mokohinau Islands? Whales were always visible and fun.  About that time I had the misfortune to view a very large (deceased) Sun Fish in Castlepoint Lagoon.

In the early 80's I had the great pleasure to see a very very very large Whale Shark in Paterson Inlet, Rakiura (Stewart Island) The vessel was a survey one 87 foot long and the Shark was almost as big.

Early 80's as well, in Yanaga Passage survey in northern Fiji (Vanua Levu) I had the great pleasure to see a breeding pair of Manta Ray's flying out of the water in unison over a reef.  A few days later my survey motor launch (Astrolabe) was rammed `by a very very very big Thresher Shark (saw his tail going past the window.).

My greatest attack by Nature though was in Port Underwood.  I was sitting on a large rock doing my Tidal work and suddenly a monstrous Sea Lion flew out of the water and landed square on on the neighbouring rock.  I don't know which jumped the most, me or him??

Basically from 1993 to 2002 I had very few chances to see any more sea creatures but in 2000 when serving on Resolution I had the very very very great pleasure to swim with a large pod of Dolphins near Whangaruru. I have the video somewhere.

Scariest moment - off Rakiura's Yankee River and we were transiting to and from Tarapunga in our rubber ducky and this rather large White Pointer started to crisscross between the river (our tidal station) and TP.  Suffice to say boat evolutions ceased for a while.