Dolphins, heavy waves at Watamu Marine Park

Dolphins in the water at Watamu Marine Park. Left: tourists snorkel. photos BY EDGAR R. BATTE.

Left and right, the waves kept hitting the boat. The waves that morning were heavy and swept against the tide. Our guide, Jane Spilsbury, in her brief, was not sure we would see any dolphins. That shook our spirit, not our hope.

Asail
We set out sailing and as the going got rough, some friends got sea sick and Spilsbury was kind to share some lime to help them deal with the irritable feeling.

“It is a bit rough and we might change our minds anytime,” she announced as she smiled. She supported herself on the boat’s upper woods because the waves continued hitting against each other and occasionally tilted the motorised boat at a steep angle.

Naturally, the strength of the waves brought with it a big splash, and onto our faces. For a moment, we were not only occupied with the excitement to see the marine mammals but worried about the weather.

We saw a fisherman sailing buoyantly in a canoe as the heavy waves pushed him up and down, talk about flirting with death.

Within a few minutes, the strong grey mammals were in sight, jumping so adorably that it awoke the excitement in the boat. “There they are,” Sandra, who had been nursing seasickness, beamed.
The moment didn’t spare the rest of us. Yours truly, could not stop clicking away. While this happened, we learnt about Watamu Marine Park space within the park where we were taking the oceanic excursion.

The marine mammals
There are three species of dolphin in Watamu; the Indo Pacific Bottlenose dolphin, the rare Indo Pacific Humpback dolphin and the offshore acrobats the Spinner dolphins.

Spilsbury also told us about conservation efforts undertaken Watamu Marine Park to promote sustainable tourism by preventing the degradation and destruction of protected coastal habitat.

Spilsbury and her husband, Steve Trott, head Watamu Marine Association (WMA) which they run with community members.
“Nobody had much information about whales and dolphins until 2006. We have done a lot of research about dolphins,” she said, in her brief as she points to a boat of her team who on research in the Indian Ocean.

Identifying dolphins and rules
Whereas dolphins look similar to the plain eye, to the conservationists at WMA, they can identify them by name.

Some of the rules in the park include, not feeding dolphins or throw objects in the water to attract them.
You will be advised not to make noise or jump in and swim with dolphins unless they come to you first and you are already in the water.

Beside the dolphin, there is beauty to see while in Watamu, particularly its exceptional shoreline steeped in natural fauna and flora and with three stunning bays; Blue Lagoon, Watamu and Turtle Bay.

Quick notes
Watamu Marine Park is a reserve globally renowned for its natural beauty and boasts a rich marine life from the visiting Whale Sharks and Manta Rays to three species of sea turtles. The park and its coral gardens are one of the main justifications for visiting Watamu.

About the dolphins
According to WMA, dolphin families have lived in Watamu’s Protected Park and Reserve in Kenya for as long as people can remember. WMA have been studying these highly intelligent marine mammals since 2010, and have so far found that over 100 different animals inhabit this area, many of them mothers and young calves.

About Watamu

Watamu is Swahili word for ‘home of the sweet people’. It enjoys a friendly community feeling. It is a small village located on the Kenyan coast, approximately 120 kilometres north of Mombasa and 25 kilometres south of Malindi. The area has developed an international reputation for its pristine white-sand beaches and reef-protected lagoons.