The following are from my May, 2003 snapshots. The tiny images you see on this page are just the "thumbnails". Click on any of these to bring up a larger image

On some versions of Windows you can right click on an image and make a large image your computer "wallpaper".

	Pair of orcas (killer whales) off Kaikoura, NZ - May, 2003 Male and female orcas with backlighting. The male, with the tall sail, is known to researchers as NZ 40 and the female is know as NZ 42. Please see newsgroup post from Dr. Ingrid Visser for more details on these particular whales.
	Pair of orcas off Kaikoura, NZ in May of 2003 We saw the pair at quite a distance. They immediately turned and headed toward our boat. I thought that they were "charging" the boat in a show of defiance. Dr. Visser's explanation is that these are orcas which eat dolphins and other marine mamals. They think that maybe some dolphins are surfing the bow wake of our boat and that they may be able to sneak up on the dolphins using the boat as a shield. Actually, the orcas did quickly dive under our boat and come up on the other side; but there were no dolpins. I cannot imagine what horror the passengers would have felt to see those orcas munch dolphins.
	Side view of orcas This photo shows the marks which enabled Dr. Visser to identify NZ 40 and NZ 42. I sent her the original prints which were clearer than these web images. She said these animals had only been photographed a few times, and that they did not remain in the Kaikoura area for very long.
	Pair of dolphins chasing the whale watch boat These are only a couple of the pod of about 50 dolphins which surrounded the boat after we left the vicinity of the orcas.
	Orca NZ 40 "charging" our boat It is kind of a spooky feeling to see that big animal coming in fast. It is very fortunate for humans that they have not developed a taste for us. They come right up on beaches to get seals and sea lions.
	Side view of NZ 40 with identifying marks
	Sperm whale re-oxigenating before a dive. Sperm whales, while quite rare, do not put on the same show as the orcas. They just lay there and breath for 5-10 minutes. When they go down they raise their tails, which makes for a nice photograph.
	The road leading to Tussock & Beech Ecotours B&B This is the road that leads to Tussock and Beech (www.nature.net.nz). It is in and just behind the group of trees on the left of the road.