Hot Water Beached

We've said adieu to the Corromandel Peninsula, where we can now pretty much call ourselves local experts after spending three weeks, and have landed north of Auckland on an olive oil/vinegar farm called Pururi Flat. On the way out of town we stopped by Cathedral Cove and the Hot Water Beach, which is one of New Zealand's big tourist draws. On a lovely day you can dig a hole in the sand and bask in natural pools of hot water while looking over the shimmering ocean. Or on the crappiest day of the year however, when we visisted, you can look like an idiot trying to dig a hole which gets covered up immediately by the incoming storm surge. Let's say hypothetically you did decide you wanted to be that idiot, well then you'd look a little like this:



And let's say, again hypothetically speaking, that you tried to go around the rocks to find a more secluded portion of the beach away from the waves, and you had as much luck as we had that day, well then you'd probably find something like this:

Our host here believes that the poor belated soul was a pilot whale, but after looking at some pictures I don't think it is. The elongated snout would suggest a dolphin more that a whale, but I looked up what the largest dolphin was and apparently the internet is claiming that a killer whale is actually a dolphin. So now I am thoroughly confused..

A thousand gold pieces to the person who identifies this carcass!*

*depending on the availablilty of gold pieces successful entrants may receive a postcard