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Trip around the world in 63 days, 2003
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Our destination is Kaikoura, for whale watching. Near Kaikoura is a deep canyon in the seafloor with an undersea waterfall and a vertical wall of 600 meters. Currents from the deep supply nutrients for a rich sea life.
We are surprised about the ticket for more than 200 dollar, but no place and the lady is so friendly to put us on the waiting list. They expect heavy wind next morning and there is a good chance that people with a weak stomach will chicken out. So we are there next morning in pitch dark and wait patiently. Then a Hurrah! and a couple higher on the waiting list gets the tickets. We wait further and just before the deadline we get our tickets. You let yourself gladly rip off for 220 dollar! The boat is modern and on sea we see strange clouds. Kaikoura is famous for the sperm whales and we are lucky! We see a few. One is a huge one of 48 tons. He can dive for two hours and up to 3500 meter deep to catch its favorite food, the mysterious giant squid. It may measure up to 23 meters. The squids are swallowed as a whole. In the stomach of dead sperm whales loads of giant squid beaks can be found. Here they dive 600 meter deep for half an hour. Then they relax 10 minutes for a next dive.