Sodwana Bay Retreat Recap
While the rest of Durban braced for more flash flooding, a small group of ocean lovers enjoyed the warm water of Sodwana Bay.
Most of the group arrived in convoy late Friday afternoon. This meant that we had to bump up a few of the activities to the next day. The group spent the evening catching up and getting to know each other a little better over dinner. We Are Food offers the perfect portion of beautiful homemade meals. We indulged in the Thai Green Curry, served with basmati rice.
Thunderbolts and lightning…
We were woken up in the early hours of the morning by the sounds of thunder and lightning. Because of this intense weather, we make a quick call to skip the morning launch and snuggle in for a little longer. As sleepy heads started to emerge, a breakfast starter of fresh fruit, granola and yoghurt was put out. Followed by sourdough toast, smashed avo and boiled eggs.
By the time our bellies were full, the skies had cleared and we went off to explore the rocky shores. There was still an extremely fresh chill in the air from the overnight snowfall on the distant Drakensberg mountains. We played in the sand dunes and did a crash course in headstands.
After a pit stop for coffee, we regrouped at the house where Neville Ayliffe, founder of Reef Teach, shared his years of knowledge with us. He shared his wisdom, from microplankton to Whale Sharks and everything in between. It was a privilege to learn about the coral reef of Sodwana Bay and what makes it a unique system on our coast.
Dollies for days…
After a luxurious spread of a tapas style dinner, we gathered around for more education. Casey De Lange, our personal dolphin whisperer, shared a thorough presentation covering everything there is to know about dolphins in Sodwana. One of the main activities planned for the weekend was to have a dolphin encounter.
Under the right conditions, dolphins in the wild will let you enter their world for just a brief moment. Casey shared her knowledge on what to expect and how to behave in and out of the water to encourage a good encounter.
Waking up before the sun, we headed down to the beach where we were greeted with clear skies and a calm ocean. The girls spotted some dollies in the backline passing the launch site – a good start before we were even on the water! We scrambled to get our gear on and headed down to the beach for the boat launch. Bubbling with excitement, there were squeals of glee as the first fins broke the surface on the horizon.
Remembering everything that Casey shared with us the night before, we slipped over the side of the boat and greeted the dolphins with a squeaky chatter to let them know we came to play. A small group swam directly below us, slowing down to check us out. The encounter didn’t last more than a few minutes, but adrenaline levels were through the roof! We attempted a second drop in and got another good glace as the dolphins passed by. Returning to the boat breathless, we all had happy hearts.
The skipper then dropped us over one of the shallower coral reefs. As we dipped into the warm water, it wasn’t long before the first turtle was spotted. We enjoyed a short snorkel until the first round of sea sickness kicked in for some. Heading back to land, a few were given the option to swim back to shore by following the direction of the lighthouse.
The journey home.
Back on land, our phones had exploded. While we were enjoying a sunny day at sea, Durban was being drowned by the second round of floods. We scurried to pack up to get onto the road as early as possible, since we didn’t know what lay ahead.
All in all, it was a smooth journey home. By the time we made our way back, the roads left standing were all clear.
Life Lessons.
There is a lot of thought and consideration that goes into the planning and itinerary for these retreats. Although the itinerary is just a guideline and certain elements (such as the weather) can’t be controlled, we learn to take things as they come.
This weekend was a constant reminder that, what will be, will be. As much as we try to plan for the worst case scenario, sometimes you just have to let it go and go with the flow.
These retreats are designed to teach you how to be present in the moment, expose you to challenges you didn’t think you were capable of and push you out of your comfort zone while simultaneously teaching you to slow down and escape the stressors of modern-day living.
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Each participant was spoilt with a gift of local brands we love.