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Aerial Expedition: Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride

During our New Zealand trip, there was one activity that caught our eye: a helicopter ride through Mount Cook and landing atop the Tasman Glacier. We’ve never flown in a helicopter so experiencing a ride through New Zealand’s tallest peak sounded enticing! For our flight, we booked the “Tasman Experience” with INFLITE Experiences. The 35-minute helicopter ride includes a scenic flight through the Tasman Valley, up through the Hochstetter Icefall, and a landing on the Tasman Glacier.

But first, we need to graciously thank INFLITE Experiences for its amazing customer service! We almost didn’t get to do the helicopter ride due to my scheduling gaffe. We were staying in Wanaka for a day and a half and I thought it was ok to stretch our visit one more day. That extra day, however, was supposed to be the date of our helicopter flight; I had completely forgotten and only realized it upon checking our booking. When we called INFLITE Experience and told them what happened, they just told us to come back the next day and they would accommodate us. Not only were we able to catch our ride but the weather was perfect compared to the poor conditions the day prior. We were very lucky thanks to the generosity of the company and left a hefty tip for the company.

We were rescheduled for a morning flight with only two other passengers. They also had never ridden a helicopter, so within the group, there was collective excitement and slight nervousness. When the helicopter arrived, it made more sense why only four passengers were scheduled; the chopper was only big enough to fit 6 passengers, including the pilot. At least we already did the charter plane flight in Milford Sound and figured it might be a similar ride.

But the helicopter ride was not at all similar to the charter plane. Instead of moderately turbulent movement, the helicopter felt like a smooth yet powerful machine that effortlessly cut through the air. Within seconds of takeoff, we were already hundreds of feet above the ground and flying high over Tasman Lake.

As the helicopter ascended, we moved from bare mountain faces to blanket snow covered caps. The landscape around us was simply stunning and I just snapped tons of photos of the views we had. The formations of the snow were amazing with huge crevasses and unusual shapes and patterns. Just as astounding was when we saw two hikers navigating through the snow-covered mountains and around the crevasses that could easily swallow them up.

After about 15 minutes in the air, we landed in the middle of the Tasman Glacier.The snow intensely reflects the sunlight, so we were advised to wear sunglasses to protect our eyes. Our pilot gave us about 10 minutes to wander around and talked a little bit about the glacier. The pilot said often times, skiers will take a helicopter to the top of the glacier and ski all the way down to the bottom. It was an impressive experience to be on top of a glacier that’s existed for 2 million years!

Unfortunately, the Tasman Glacier may not be around for that much longer. The glacier has been receding up to half a mile a year and is projected to disappear in as little as one or two decades. It’s a common trend affecting many of the world’s glaciers. On our flight back to the airport, Mat got to ride in the front of the helicopter to get the upfront views. We got to see what the Tasman Glacier terminal looks like today and comparing it to 30 years ago, it is staggering how much ice has been lost.

It’s pretty sad to see the plight of our glaciers today and whether or not we are able to preserve them is seriously in doubt. If we cannot slow or reverse the current trends, then we’ll face the prospect of travelers not being able to enjoy this amazing experience on top of a glacier. Hopefully, that won’t be the case for our future.

Here is the info for our flight:

Location: Mount Cook Airport, New Zealand
Company: INFLITE Experiences
Price: “Tasman Experience” $339 NZD ($245 USD), other experiences range from $199-999 NZD
Getting there: From Queenstown, it is a 3-hour drive Northeast to Mount Cook

Would riding a helicopter through Mount Cook be a once-in-a-lifetime activity for you? Then be sure to save our pin for the time you visit New Zealand:

 

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Tokoriki Island Scuba Diving & A Plea to Save Our Coral Reefs

Our Coral Reefs are Dying:

I was around 12 or 13 years-old when I did my first scuba dive in Hawaii. That was one of the coolest experiences I had ever done at that point, discovering an underwater world that I can’t see every day. But it wasn’t until I visited Australia in 2011 and dove in the Great Barrier Reef did I truly fall in love with diving. It was so incredible to see the scale of these massive coral reef structures built over thousands of years that supported huge communities of marine life. It inspired to dive to discover more and since then, I’ve been able to get my PADI certification, dive in the reef systems in the Caribbeans, in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and even went diving with sharks. My goals next are to pursue my advanced certification, dive in southeast Asia, dive with tiger sharks, and do more dives in coral reef systems in general.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

My most recent dive was at Tokoriki Island in Fiji with the resort dive shop. Mat doesn’t have her dive certification so we opted for the Discover Scuba Dive. Will was our instructor and he is one of the best dive instructors you could ever have if you’re looking for an introduction to scuba diving. He is very thorough with his lesson to scuba diving and is also very reassuring to anyone with having any apprehension. It is a terrific opportunity for anyone wanting to learn how to scuba dive!

During the dive, Will looked after Mat while I trailed them. He kept her very comfortable during the dive and she said it was the best dive that she’s been able to do and we can’t thank Will enough for that! We saw a healthy coral reef system with a variety of colorful coral, along with various species of fish, giant clams, sea cucumbers and a pair of sea turtles. It was a great dive and nice to see a healthy ecosystem around the island. I definitely recommend doing a dive with Will or anyone in the dive shop at the Tokoriki Island Resort. They’ll also take care of you for any other activities you may be interested in.

After the dive, we got back to the dive shop and met Alex who, along with Will, have been in Fiji the past 18 years. We struck up a conversation about the reef system and coral bleaching. I first heard about coral bleaching when an article of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef experienced significant bleaching on its system. I asked them how the reefs around the islands were doing and thankfully, they’ve said the reef systems there and around Fiji have remained largely unaffected. They’re also continuing to work with the preservation of the coral reef system near Tokoriki Island, as well as their giant clam restoration program and educating the locals about protecting sea turtles. It was a pleasure meeting the team and we thank them for the great dive!

Left to Right: Will, Alex, us two, Del. Thanks for the great dive!

Although this region avoided any major bleaching to the reef systems, other parts of the world were severely affected. My first exposure to coral bleaching was by Otres Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia in June of 2016. We went on a snorkel/fishing excursion by a nearby island. We couldn’t catch any fish so I decided to go into the water and snorkel a bit. However, as I came upon the reef system, the coral was completely bleached white while some looked already browned (though the water was murky) and there was very little marine life inhabiting the system. Back then, I knew it was really bad but I thought it was more of a local thing; Cambodia’s climate had dramatically changed over recent years with rising temperatures and had a lot of pollution. But I had no idea about the global scale of the coral bleaching.

It wasn’t until I saw the documentary, “Chasing Coral,” on Netflix did I really grasp the severity and destruction of the world’s coral reef systems. I was absolutely shell-shocked at the magnitude of the damage that the Great Barrier Reef sustained in the 2016 mass bleaching event. Even after watching the documentary multiple times, it’s hard to believe that 29% of the Great Barrier Reef died in a single event. The images of entire reef systems dead and rotting away were engraved into my mind because I love the ocean and all of the life it supports. And it wasn’t just the Great Barrier Reef that was affected but various reef systems all over the world were affected and some systems were also completely wiped out. It makes me think back on the bleached reefs in Cambodia; the water I snorkeled in was really hot and for some reason, I felt like it wasn’t right. Looking back on it now, it laments me to think that that system may have met its demise since all of the signs were there.

Check out the trailer and see the film on Netflix:

In May of 2016, I got to dive in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the second largest reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef, spanning 620 miles long. That dive was also spectacular and it appeared that much of the reef systems appeared healthy. However, even they were not immune to the bleaching. In various areas, 20% of the reef systems experienced bleaching, and although they were able to recover pretty well, they still face numerous threats and will have to battle them every year. The Caribbean reef systems have also been hit pretty hard and it’s clear that this could become a frequent occurrence for many systems all over the world.

I don’t think people really realize how important the coral reef systems are to our planet. It is estimated that a quarter of all marine life is supported by the coral reefs. That marine life also supports up to 500 million people for food and sustenance and also brings in tens to hundreds of billions of dollars annually from tourism and fishing industries. Coral also provide treatments to a variety of ailments, including some cancer treatments. If the reef systems collapse, the impact it could have could be devastating.

Coral are very resilient creatures and, given time, they can recover from most disasters. However, this is a very different and challenging scenario for the world’s reefs. The coral reef systems are constantly under stress primarily from rising ocean temperatures due to global warming that is driven by human emissions but also faces pollution, uncontrolled tourism, overfishing, invasive species, and more. The toughest thing for the coral is that we do not see them every day so it is difficult for many people to grasp the severity of the issue.

However, there is finally something that is helping create awareness for our coral reef systems. And hopefully, we are able to buy the time that is needed to keep the coral reef systems surviving. The world of our oceans is truly an amazing and beautiful thing to see and we need to educate the public to show its importance. The future of coral remains uncertain but if we can continue to push the conversation to preserve the natural wonders of our world, then maybe we can still save what we have and keep building on that for our future generations.

To find out more about the plight about corals, go to www.chasingcoral.com for more about the documentary and visit http://coralreef.noaa.gov/ to learn more about ways to help with the conservation process of our coral reefs.

 

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Fiji Shark Diving with BEQA Adventure Divers, Pacific Harbour

Over the years, sharks have developed a reputation for being mindless, bloodthirsty killers that crave human flesh. So when we arrived in Fiji, we found that the BEQA Adventure Divers company in Pacific Harbour provided a diving excursion that would have you surrounded by full-grown bull sharks in the open water and without a cage!. I did the most sensible thing I could do in this situation: I took advantage of the opportunity and booked a dive to get up close and personal with these reputed fearsome creatures!

Some of you might be thinking that it sounds like a wee bit dangerous and truthfully, I think our group had a little angst about the dive. While there may always be some risk involving wild animals, our group was comforted by the fact that BEQA Diving Adventures has been operating for 19 years and they have never had a single incident. Whatever tension I may have had quickly into excitement as I was very eager to be the world of sharks!

Our group consisted of 11 divers: 6 BEQA divers and 5 regular divers. Normally, the company recommends having at least 50 dives since you will dive around 100 feet deep; however, as long as you’re comfortable with your diving skills, they will allow you to dive with supervision. I had never gone that deep prior and had only 12 dives under my belt but I had no issues during the dive.

For our first dive, we dove 100 feet to the seabed with some coral around us. Once we got to the bottom, we did not move from our spots and simply waited. At least 3 or 4 BEQA divers stayed near us with aluminum rods to push away any sharks that got too close, while the others set up or fed the bait with tuna heads. After 5 minutes, the first 2 or 3 sharks showed up, and they were massive thick-bodied sharks! Not long after that, more and more sharks started appearing, catching the scent of the bait and wanting to join in on the feeding. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by at least 30 adult sharks, each of them 8-10 feet long! You can see from the pictures how huge they look compared to the trash bin!

The sharks we observed during this part of the dive were bull sharks. These sharks are named for their broad, bulky bodies and for having unpredictable and aggressive behavior. They are one of the very few sharks that can survive in freshwater; because of this, baby bull sharks are born in freshwater environments which serve as natural protection from other saltwater predators. Like all shark species, bull sharks have amazing survival skills that have enabled them to survive for hundreds of millions of years.

Bull sharks are incredibly powerful too. Several times, a shark would swim above me and you could feel how much power they had when they propelled themselves through the water. Yet, they seemed to glide through the water without any effort, no doubt a quality of their perfectly designed bodies. I was in complete awe of seeing these creatures up close and being able to part of their environment.

Later in the dive, we moved up a reef wall and settled in a more shallow area around 30 feet deep and observed whitetip and blacktip reef sharks. Despite sharing similar names, they do differ in appearance; as their names suggest, you can figure out their species by looking at the tip of their fins to see what color they are. Whitetips also have more slender bodies and broad heads while blacktips have prototypical shark bodies. These sharks grow to only about 5 feet in length, so they’re generally harmless to humans, but proficient hunters in the reefs.

For our last dive, we went to a second spot that would again feature the bull sharks. This time, our area was a little more open and less reef around us. This meant that the sharks were more likely to swim really close in front and above us as they passed by and the BEQA divers would use their aluminum poles to push any away that got too close. 5 minutes after the bait was set up, the bull sharks appeared. (Depending on the season, tiger sharks will appear too, which grow up to 16 feet in length! We did not see any tiger sharks on these dives)

Once again, at least 30 bull sharks showed up and circled around us and the bait. I don’t know what the team’s definition of “too close” was but some of those sharks got REALLY close. In some cases, the sharks would approach 2 or 3 feet away from us and then swim directly above us, sometimes brushing our gear. One shark brushed against a diver’s face! However, I didn’t feel like I was in any danger during the dives, though I’m not sure if I can say the same for everyone else. In any case, it was simply spectacular to watch the sharks in their element.

Sharing the waters with these sharks reinforced several things I knew about sharks. These animals are not mindless or bloodthirsty killers but very intelligent creatures that only do what they do to survive. If you don’t bother them in their environment, then they’re very unlikely to bother you. (Sharks apparently also hate the sound of scuba gear.) And in instances where a shark does bite a human, they are due to curiosity or mistaken identity. This leads me to believe that as long as humans could appreciate and continue to understand these creatures, then they pose little threat to people and we can enjoy a co-existence.

Unfortunately, due to the bad reputation from bad press and little understanding of the species, sharks have become a public enemy and have paid a steep price. Last year, over 100 million sharks were killed with 73 million being used for shark fin soup in China and SE Asia. Many species of sharks are now facing endangerment due to severe overfishing, slow reproduction rates and loss of habitat. Sharks have existed for 450 million years but in only the last century, sharks now face the real possible threat of extinction. My hope is that, as we continue to learn and debunk the negative perceptions of the species, then we can save them so we can continue to enjoy them in their environment.

For more information about this dive if you’re visiting Fiji, visit the BEQA Adventure Divers website for more information. Be sure to check out our full video of our dive and if you think you might want to dive with sharks, be sure to also give us a Pin below! Happy shark diving!

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Loch Ness – Urquhart Castle and Finding the Monster, Nessie

Loch Ness is one of the most well-known places in all of Scotland. Located in the Highlands, the loch is the second largest lake in the country, spanning almost 23 miles long and reaching depths of up to 755 feet, and surrounded by beautiful landscapes of hills and trees. It is also the site of maybe the most notable attraction around the loch, the Urquhart Castle, which has beautiful views that overlook Loch Ness.

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness

However, many will know that’s not what made the loch so famous. Loch Ness is infamous for the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster, which was affectionately named Nessie. Though records show claims of monster sightings dating back to the 6th century, the monster grabbed international attention in 1934 when a photograph, known as the “Surgeon’s photograph,” showed the creature’s head and long neck protruding out of the lake.

There have been many theories to what the creature could be, the popular suggestion was that it could be something like a plesiosaur, a dinosaur with a long neck and flippers for swimming. After years of searching and research, however, Nessie has yet to be discovered.

Before we delve further into the monster, lets first take a look at the Urquhart Castle. For us, we drove about two hours from the Oyster Shed the day before to the town of Lewiston, just a few minutes away from the castle, and crashed for the night there. It’s also located 30-35 minutes southwest of the city of Inverness, the capital city of the Highland area.

Note: Along the way, we did pass by the Eilean Donan Castle (photos below), a very picturesque castle during the day but we only could take a look at night with lights illuminating it.

Eilean Donan Castle, Highlands

The next morning, we went to check out the Urquhart Castle. We were pretty much the first ones there, as we arrived little earlier than the 9:30 AM opening time and admission for adults was 9 euros. Eventually, a few other people checked out the castle, though no more than 10 people were there at any given time that we were there, which made the visit very serene and peaceful. The castle is actually the third most visited castle in Scotland, but the crowds really die down during the winter time. The receptionist told us during the winter, they sometimes only see as few as 100 visitors a day.

The castle dates back to the 5th century and is one of the largest castles in all of Scotland. It had a very active history spanning the 13th and 16th centuries, which includes enduring several invasions and takeovers between England and Scotland. By the late 16th century, the castle had been blown up so that it could no longer be a military stronghold and then pillaged for materials to the point where the castle is mostly in ruins.

Despite the damaged state of the castle, you can still take the stairs to the top of the Grant Tower, which gives ones of the best views of Loch Ness and the castle grounds. It is still impressive to see the grandness of the entire grounds, but it also makes for some stunning photography with the landscape and sunrise.

As we walked around the castle grounds, we struck up a conversation with the security guard about the Loch Ness Monster. He told us that although the lake has been thoroughly searched and scientific research has 99.875% ruled out the monster from existing, most locals are still hopeful that it’ll one day show up, or until it is 100% conclusive that it can’t be found. At the very least, they want to keep the folklore alive for hopeful tourists and those with an imagination.

We were indeed one of those hopeful ones, regardless of how unlikely it was. After exploring through the castle, we decided to go down to the lakeside if we could get any glimpse of activity on the water surface. When we got there, the lake was very calm, very quaint, but seemed pretty void of any lifeform, especially when temperatures were around below freezing.

We hung around the edge for a couple minutes just to enjoy the peacefulness and take a few photos. It didn’t seem like anything would show up so we started to head to our car. But all of a sudden, we heard a splash of activity on the lake’s surface and turned to see what it was. INCREDIBLY, a creature emerged on the surface in the distance!! I told my brother to quickly grab a shot before it went under and was able to capture the creature on camera! We screamed to other people to look over the lake but by the time anyone else got there, it went back into the depth. But at least we got a photo of the creature. HERE IS THE DEFINITIVE, 1000% COMPLETELY REAL PROOF THAT THERE IS A LOCH NESS MONSTER:

The Loch Ness Monster is Real!!

So, there you have it: the legend of the Loch Ness Monster is real! No disputing it whatsoever! (Unless asked for further inspection…which I doubt it…because it’s real…for sure!!)

But if you have no interest in the monster, you can still check out the Urquhart Castle, which is a fantastic place to visit and immerse yourself in Scottish history. Give it a pin if you are inspired to check out Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and even Scotland’s other collection of castles.

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Neist Point Lighthouse & the Oyster Shed, Isle of Skye

When visiting the Isle of Skye in Scotland, you can find something to see or do in just about any direction. If you head west on Skye, you can visit two amazing spots: the stunning coastal landscape at the Neist Point Lighthouse and the Oyster Shed for some fresh seafood.

Also, check out our previous post in Skye hiking to Old Man of Storr. 

Neist Point is the furthest west part of Skye near the town of Glendale, about an hour from the town of Portree. The directions will take you to the end of a single track road where you’ll find some parking, albeit very limited in the number of spaces. Just from the parking lot, you are treated to spectacular views of the cliffs and bays, as well as see plenty of sheep grazing and possibly being herded.

You cannot see the Neist Point Lighthouse from the parking area (although if you walk towards the right along the cliffs, you can see it in the distance). To get close to the lighthouse, you need to follow the path towards the cliffs that extends furthest towards the sea. The path is not particularly dangerous, but there are several steep parts and some steps along the way. I suggest taking your time since it is a really pleasant walk with the sound of the ocean and the beautiful surroundings.

It takes about 20-25 minutes to reach the lighthouse from the parking lot. Once you get to the peak of the path towards the ocean, you will start to see the lighthouse in the distance.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1909 and is still currently operational. Although it didn’t appear that anyone was working within the lighthouse, it is open to the public to view and walk around. You should definitely spend some time around the lighthouse and the surrounding area to admire the landscape. We were fortunate to also have stunning skies to provide such a beautiful backdrop. It’s also one of the best sites to see whales or dolphins in the ocean.

Although we would’ve loved to explore the area more, we did not have too much time on the short winter days and the short trip duration. So we capped our day by driving an hour southeast from Neist Point to one of the best-hidden gems on the Isle of Skye, which is the Oyster Shed in the small village of Carbost.

This small family-operated establishment is tucked on a small road that can be a little tricky to find. Open from 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM every day, the Oyster Shed is appropriately named: it really is just a shed that sells a lot of oysters. Not like it needs to look aesthetic as it makes up for that with its incredibly fresh and delicious seafood at very reasonable prices.

Aside from oysters, you can get anything from crabs, lobster, salmon, scallops, mussels, langoustine, as well as other food products like meats, cheeses, honey and more. My brother and I pretty much ordered everything that was on the seafood menu so we could taste a bit of everything. (It’s also right next to the Talisker Distillery for whisky tours, but they are not open during winter).

For everything that we ordered, we spent around 50-60 pounds, which included a dozen oysters, crab meat and claws, steamed mussels, grilled salmon, scallops, langoustine, and lobster. As we were going through the seafood, my brother and I agreed that it had to be one of the best seafood meals we’ve ever had! The oysters, which are farmed, were phenomenally delicious, and everything else was so fresh since they were harvested or bought right from the village harbor. We also sat in the seating area, where we enjoyed the beautiful views of the countryside and also had the company of a few nearby cows. Although it’s busier in the warmer seasons, during winter business can be slow, as we were the only ones there for at least an hour and a half. It was definitely one of our favorite dining experiences and we hope to be back there someday.

So, if you’re visiting the Isle of Skye in Scotland, be sure to visit the Neist Point Lighthouse and the Oyster Shed! Pin our post if you think you’d want to visit these spots and let us know of any other hidden gems or favorite spots around Scotland.

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