Kangaroo Island - part 1

We have been told by countless SA residents that we had to make a trip to Kangaroo Island (referred to as KI because Aussies abbreviate and shorten everything!)  The island is a 45 minute ferry from Cape Jervis, a 90 minute drive from Adelaide.  KI had been hit hard in the fires two years ago, but the pandemic provided a unintended incentive for SA residents to travel within their own state, promoting KI as a desirable local getaway for wildlife and wildland areas.  We opted to wait until December to visit in hopes of enjoying a bit of early summer weather.

For the first two nights of our trip, we stayed in the eastern part of the island in a rental house close to Island Beach.  Our rental was a short walk from a lovely, small beach.  Our first night we enjoyed an early evening dip in the chilly waters, and hunted for seashells and enjoyed the pinks and purples of the sunset.  KI is known for lovely, locally produced wines, so we made time to visit one for a tasting.

We headed up to Emu Bay for a 3 hour tour to snorkel with wild dolphins.  The tour provider takes small groups of people out to a clear protected area where these wild dolphin pods rest after fishing at night.  Despite the concentration of dolphins, the sharks stay away because these are rest areas, not fishing grounds.  The water was very chilly (63*F) even with wetsuits, but the experience was unbelievably amazing.  

Miles found the water too cold, but was still able to view and enjoy the dolphin behavior even from the boat!  Jeremy climbed up to the top (with permission) for a few photos.

Baxter, Jeremy and I did several snorkel drops with loads of dolphins, including some very tiny newborns, swam around us showing a lot of curiosity!  The dolphins saw around us, responding to our attempts to make squeaky calls, and generally played around us and the boat.  There were an estimated 80 dolphins total that day!  As a finale, the tour guide sped out of the area giving a nice wake for the dolphins to practice some jumps and rolls - check it out here.  Truly, an unforgettable experience!