Kaikoura - Dolphin Swim Tour

5.0
294
Take the opportunity to interact and swim with the incredible dusky dolphins of Kaikoura!

Take the opportunity to interact and swim with the incredible dusky dolphins of Kaikoura!

Highlights

  • Swim with wild dolphins in the ocean!
  • Enjoy watching these fascinating mammals in their natural habitat
  • Exhilarating experience not to be missed

Having the highest success rate in New Zealand to both locate AND swim with dolphins, the friendly team at Encounter Kaikoura will provide you with a not to be missed bucket list experience!

Dusky dolphins are one, if not the most interactive and acrobatic species of dolphins in the world and they frequent Kaikoura year-round! Join the team aboard a comfortable vessel for a picturesque tour along the spectacular Kaikoura coastline.

Meet these incredible wild animals in their natural environment, and enjoy their spectacular acrobatics in the open ocean.

Make memories to last a lifetime and book today!

Swimming with the dolphins is an exhilarating and exertive experience and those who book to swim should be relatively physically fit and be confident swimmers in open water. Snorkeling experience is an advantage though not essential as lessons can be provided onboard.

Tours scheduled daily: We close just one day each year - Christmas Day!

Swimmers and watchers join the same tour, and if you would prefer to stay dry and watch these amazing mammals from aboard the boat, please check out the deals on our Watch Tour:

Kaikoura - Dolphin Watch Tour

Adult $230.00
Child $215.00

What's included

  • Return transfers between the base and harbour
  • All gear including full body wetsuit, snorkel, mask and fins (extra floatation aids and prescription masks available on request)
  • Complimentary information pack on return from the tour

Duration

  • Approximately 3.5 hours (approx 2.5 on the water)

Location

  • Meeting Location: Encounter Kaikoura at 96 Esplanade

Notes

  • Check in: Please call the team to reconfirm your booking and tour operation the day prior and to receive your check in time for the following day. Please report to 96 Esplanade, Kaikoura on the day.

    Our vessels have ample seating, an onboard toilet and a hot water boat shower. There are also blankets on board should these be required in the colder months. At base there are changing room facilities with hot showers for after the tour.

    Please Note: Return times are not guaranteed.

  • Child Age is 8 - 14 years for swimming and we recommend that children are confident swimmers in open water.

    Towels, Go Pros and Go Pro accessories are available for hire.

    Please note: If showing as closed - the swim WILL be SOLD OUT. This is a very high demand product. Bookme recommendation is to book well in advance - or book the great deals on DOLPHIN WATCH on bookme.co.nz. Our tours operate in the open ocean and we are subject to sea conditions and weather on the day of the tour. All tours are also subject to minimum numbers to operate. Sea conditions on the day need to be ideal for children to participate on this tour. The skipper reserves the right to increase the age limit if they believe the conditions warrant this decision..

Available Bookings from 22 Nov to 5 Dec 2024

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Change Dates
Fri 22 Nov
Sat 23 Nov
Sun 24 Nov
Mon 25 Nov
Tue 26 Nov
Wed 27 Nov
Thu 28 Nov
Fri 29 Nov
Sat 30 Nov
Sun 1 Dec
Mon 2 Dec
Tue 3 Dec
Wed 4 Dec
Thu 5 Dec
♡♡♡AMAZING♡♡♡ Fantastisch Awesome team and great experience Incredible “Once-in-a-lifetime” experience Brilliant!
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Authenticated Reviews & Photos All of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

5.0

294 reviews

Showing all 294 authenticated Bookme reviews

David LeGouellec from France wrote on 20 November 2022

Expérience magique

Déjà voir les dauphins c'est quelque chose de génial, mais il faut rajouter à cette expérience la prise en charge, l'accompagnement et la sécurité dont fait preuve la compagnie. C'est formidable, allez y les yeux fermés !

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From Kaikoura - Dolphin Swim Tour

Thanks so much David! Lovely to read your review :-)

lydjieb from France wrote on 13 December 2020

Expérience à faire

C’est une super activité à faire mais attention à ceux qui on le mal de mer. Malheureusement j’ai pas pu nager avec les dauphins dû à une soirée trop arrosée la veille et le mal de mer.. Ce qui fait que j’ai eu la tete dans le sceau quasi tout le long. Cependant la compagnie aurai pu faire un geste commercial dû a mon état, je n’ai malheureusement pas été rembourser partiellement sur un tarif juste spectateur. Sinon personnel sympathique.

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From Kaikoura - Dolphin Swim Tour

Sorry to hear you got seasick :-( We have a policy that we can't refund for seasickness. and we do our best to clearly brief likely conditions for each tour at check in to give those susceptible the option to cancel before departure. We were able to fully refund your Go Pro hire though as a gesture of good will. We do wish we had a button to control the sea and that this hadn't happened for you though! Hoping you are feeling better now you are on land! :-)

ROMAIN PASTOUREL from France wrote on 22 October 2016

Finally it was great

At the beginning, You find It Really touristic, with so Many people, A presentation video ètc. You are In A business, A touristic one. On the boat with 20 people You are Still nervous BecauSe You are expecting 5 Dolphin for 40 tourists. But actually When You are In the cold sea the expérience is AMAZING. Dolphins everywhere. The service is Really Nice even if the chocolate And cookies are not good at all, the hot water is Perfect after the swimm

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Francois from France wrote on 19 October 2016

LA chose à tester à Kaikoura

Plus d'une heure dans l'eau à nager avec les dauphins dusky (40 minutes avec un petit groupe, puis 20 avec un groupe plus important), mais aussi plus de 20 minutes à les observer du bateau en fin de matinée, flip, sauts divers, quel spectacle ! Nager avec les dauphins permet vraiment d'avoir un contact privilégié tout en jouant avec eux, en tournant, plongeant, et en captant leurs regards. Exceptionnel !

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Cindy Demarquet from France wrote on 27 July 2016

Incroyable

Incroyable cette activité est à faire à tout prix. Ce fut une superbe journée le staff est génial et la baignade et balade extraordinaires. Les dauphins passent de partout, vous entourent, sautent, font des loopings.....bref fantastique !!!!

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10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July

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*This option must be made together with another price type.
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