Swimming with Wild Dolphins

Kate treated us to a beautiful hotel on the east coast of Zanzibar for the night. The hotel's restaurant and bar overlook the neon-turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, its reach stretching out to the brilliant blue horizon, and its vastness dotted with the triangular white sails of dhows. At low-tide, women work the seaweed farms, harvesting a crop that is exported for mere pennies to the sushi consuming nations in the east. Meals of kingfish and prawns have satisfied my insatiable love for fresh seafood, and the sounds of the ocean have filled my ears with the magical allure of the coast. There is something so primitively comforting about being by the ocean, just like the flickering of campfire flames, or the sacheting of white puffy clouds across a bright blue sky. The interconnectedness of all of us, of human beings, of our ancestors, of the universe is so powerfully apparent when you can just be. Learning to just be has been a major part of this trip for me. To be one with myself, to be one with the world. It's a liberating feeling once you can finally let go of the external world and all of its influences, to be fully in the moment, in the present. And for some reason, finding that inner-peace and presence is much easier when you succumb tot he magic of flames, to the dancing of clouds, or to the powerful beauty of the ocean.

We woke up before the sun had peeked up from the horizon, enjoyed a breakfast of pineapple, papaya, and tea, and by 7am had boarded a small boat that took us out into the rough seas in search of dolphins. Ominously dark clouds patchworked the sky in gradations of greys and blacks, and the deep blue water swelled in turbulent anger with teh approaching storm. But the impending storm never came, the waters calmed, and teh sun chased the darkest of the clouds away. In the chilly tropical morning air, we stripped down to our bikinis, strapped on our masks and snorkels, and pulled the rubber flippers onto our feet. And then we spotted them. A pod of dolphins, their dorsal fins cutting elegantly through the water's surface. I dropped off the side of the boat, ungracefully flipping into the water backwards. The dolphins were everywhere, jumping, playing, diving into the ocean's depths. What started out as 8 or 9 disappearing to the ocean floor, quickly turned into a pod of 20 strong circling up towards us gently nudging a blow fish, passing it between them, just as kids play with a balloon. Tapping it up and letting it gently float back down, showing off their colorful toy to their curious, amazed guests. I did flips in the water, clapped my hands, and peaked their curiosity. They swam within a hands reach from me and I giggled like a little kid. Our smiling faces examined each other, our noses just 2 feet from touching. The playful creatures invited us into their world and allowed us to join in the fun. I am still giddy with amazement, in awe of their proximity to us, and amazed at the true gentle nature of the perpetually smiling creatures. Eventually the dolphins swam off towards deeper water in search of food, leaving us to climb back into the boat and bask in the adrenaline-infused excitement coursing through our bodies. Once again, it was impossible to wipe that smile from my face or to control the laughter bubbling from my chest. Swimming with a pod of wild dolphins off the coast of Zanzibar was one of the best experiences of my life!