Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Swim with Dolphins in Kaikoura
All prices shown in NZD$.
Genuine Customer Reviews powered by 
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So worth it. Really good tour guides and a great experience
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Amazing experience would do again
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Service in all areas of safety and enjoyment and staff interaction were fantastic.
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Fantastic information with all related aspects of this trip.
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They are very reliable, friendly and reply quick to the emails.
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I purchased the Dolphin Swim - Kaikoura and it was an amazing experience to be so close to this wonderful mammal.
After the swim we encountered more than 50 dolphins which swam, jumped and flipped around our boat warming our hearts :-)
Reply from Everything Travel Group
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We hope you had an amazing time in New Zealand!
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The Dolphin Encounter was well organized from the get go. Great communication. The knowledgable guides were enthusiastic and informative.
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This was a special afternoon - to swim with dolphins in their environment!
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매우 만족스런 액티비티 였습니다.
스탭들도 친절하고 제반 시설등이 매우 훌륭했습니다.
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투어 프로그램이 매우 잘 짜야진 느낌이었고,
시설이나 스탭 모두 만족스러웠씁니다.
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Staff were fantastic and supportive give the rough seas . Highly recommended
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Excellent service
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Amazing experience! We saw tons and tons of dolphins, including three different species. The water was very cold, but well worth it.
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Wings over whales pilots were friendly, informative and views were spectacular.
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The dolphin encounter experience in the water was incredible. Felt safe and staff were wonderful.
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Wonderful staff and amazing experience. Very efficient and professional experience.
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One of our booking forms stated a departure time which ended up being the checkin time but a second form was correctly marked
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Both of us ended up being extremely sea sick on the dolphin encounter which could have been prevented if we had been advised to purchase (on the booking form) motion sickness tablets from the local pharmacy prior to sailing. This would have added to our comfort and pleasure. It would have been useful to have staff check my wetsuit headgear and goggle fitting before entering the water at least at the beginning. Mine was not fitted correctly and so really hindered my participation, enjoyment and comfort. Overall still a good experience aided by the extremely personable, friendly and professional staff.
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Wonderful family service from the Swimming with Seals team
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It was actually the Seal Swimming and it was brilliant. We didn't really have many expectations as we had originally wanted to go on the Dolphin Encounter but are really pleased we ended up doing the Seals. It was a very personal and intimate experiences as opposed to the big tourist boats of Dolphin Encounters
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The booking was not very efficient, we received different documents with different dates on which was very confusing
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The trip was excellent. A truly lovely experience
The only suggestion I would have is whether they could have some way of identifying people I the water (?coloured wristbands perhaps) so you can share your experience directly with friends and family
Reply from Everything Travel Group
Hi Clare. Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. I do apologise for the initial confusion with your Kaikoura dolphin swim booking. The booking process is normally very smooth and efficient however during the crazy New Year's period where most of the boats are booked up many weeks in advance it can be a challenge finding suitable availability, especially for a group of 8. I am glad that you enjoyed the dolphin experience. It is truly magical being in the water with such majestic creatures. I have also passed on your excellent suggestion on to the crew. Safe travels home.
Regards
Callum Goodall
Everything Travel
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response quickly and effectively
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cancelled
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Staff were very good instructions were good and clear desk staffexcellent and friendly
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an experience of a lifetime the crew were excellent very informative and easy to talk to and to swim with that many dolphins what an experience AWESOME!!!!
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Everything was very easy, good customer service would highly recommend.
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I would rate this as excellent but unfortunately due to engine problems on the boat we were unable to swim with the dolphins. They were very apologetic and we received a full prompt refund. Was very disappointed but we were lucky enough to see dolphins. The staff were brilliant and tried everything to fix the problem but to no avail. Will definitely be back to do this again.
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It was a brilliant day out. The team were very nice
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Dolphins are my favourite animals, it was nice to see them in their natural habitat.
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The service was excellent. The staff were very friendly and had a great sense of humour.
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Swimming with the dolphins was one of the best days of my life and I am 53 years of age!!!!!!!!!!! The friendly and informative crew were exceptional and they kept taking us to pods of dolphins as the dolphins took off from us. Thank you so much for this awesome experience. I recommend everyone do it!!!!!!!!!
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I had no trouble checking in when I got to the dolphin encounter but it helps if you print out your voucher!
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I had a great time swimming with the dolphins. It was a perfect day and there were dolphins everywhere! I was on a waiting list to actually swim with the dolphins and the staff was very helpful in getting my fitted for a wetsuit last minute and making sure my trip was the best!
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Managed to get us tickets for Dolphin Encounter at short notice
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Fantastic experience swimming with wild dolphins. Do it if you can!
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No hickups....all went well......thanks
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Really friendly guys and Gals.....no drama....kids loved it.
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The booking went alright, it allworked smoothly.
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We really enjoyed swimming with the dolphins, it truly was a very special experience. At Dolphin Encounter, the staff were very well organised, it all ran very smoothly to get the whole group kitted out and on our way to the boat. At sea, they really did their best to give us a great time. Very helpful, very knowledgeable staff. Many thanks!
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very helpful
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The girls were fascinated by the dolphins, the staff was friendly and very helpful.
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super nice, kind and professional staff.
it was the first time, that all the promises fulfilled and even more.
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Ok nothing spectacluar
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Unfortunatly the dolphins were way offshore, the water cold and the weather was rough, none controllable by the event organisers. The staff were welcoming, knowledgable and helpful.
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The service was excellent.
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I would have rated this excursion excellent had I not experienced sea sickness (motion sickness). None the less, I highly recommend this excursions just remember to take the medication Dramamine if your prone to motion sickness. It was quite magical swimming among these highly intelligent creatures.
Latest Questions about Dolphin Encounter (Kaikoura)
We plan to come April 1st for dolphin swimming. Wondering if 5:30am or 8:30am is best for most best dolphin breath experience. Thanks!
Comments
The Dolphin Swimming encounter has a high chance of seeing Dolphins during any of their scheduled tour times.
The sun would be rising during the 5:30 am tour giving you an amazing view on top of your dolphin experience which I think would
make for a really unreal experience!
Hi,
I would like to book the dolphin encounter for 3 people on 26th of February at 8:30am. Are there free spaces for 3 adults? And is it possible to cancel in case someone gets sick etc.?
Thank you very much and kind regards
Sarah Siebert
I've been told that the best time for a swim with dolphins adventure in Kaikoura is January because of a super-pod? Can you tell me more? I am booking a trip to the top of the South Island for early next year and would normally avoid school holidays but someone told me it would be worth it for the super-pod...
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Summer (November - March) is the best time to do dolphin swimming in Kaikoura. The dusky dolphins visit Kaikoura in large 'super-pods', so Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura have a 90% success rate of swimming with dolphins at this time of year. During winter, there is still a very high chance of encountering dolphins, however they are much more spread out and don't travel in large groups.
Hi I am making a trip down in June, winter?
Is the dolphin encounter available?
Do people still go into the water in June?
Comments
Hi, Thanks for enquiring about the Dolphine encounter experience, this trip is available year-round! You are provided with wetsuits to keep you warm. This is a great time to do the tours as during the summer it does tend to book up very quickly.
Hi we will be at Kaikoura on the 8 December and would like to do the swim but just wondering how cold is the water going to be at this time of year.
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Heya, The average sea temperature in Kaikoura in December is about 14.9 degrees Celsius.
do you provide life jacket for swimming with dolphin and snorkelling?
thanks so much
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Hello So,
Thank you for your question.
The operator does not provide any life jackets due to the fact the wetsuit they provide is very buoyant. This will keep you afloat, also a life jacket keeps your head above the water and all of the dolphin action is beneath the service. So this would impair your ability to enjoy the experience to the fullest.
You may be able to request an additional buoyancy aid on the day in the form of a polystyrene noodle. However this will depend on the boats equipment on the day and the sea conditions.
Kind regards
Alicia Coyne
Hi .
What age can you swim with dolphins.
Thank you
Joanne
Comments
The minimum age for swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura is 8. Children under 8 and over 3 are welcome on board the boat (dolphin watch) but must be supervised at all times by a parent or guardian.
Kia'ora!
We are planning a trip to Kaikoura in November and would really like to swim with the dolphins. Unfortunately I don't swim very well but would I be able to wear a lifejacket so I could participate?
Kind regards
Jessica
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Hi Jessica, you don't have to be a great swimmer to go swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura however you do have to be confident enough to be in the open water without hanging on to anything. The wetsuits are very thick so they act as a buoyancy aid so you can't sink with them on. There is also additional buoyancy aids such as float boards and noodles which you can use in the water. As long as you feel comfortable enough swimming a short distance away from the boat then you will be fine. Please be aware there are no guides in the water and instead they are keeping watch from the boat.
Hi
I've just booked a Dolphin Encounter swim with you in early Jan 2015 and have a few questions.
I've never worn a wet suit before. Can you please tell me what to wear underneath for warmth and comfort. I was thinking of shorts and a T shirt but don't want to make the wet suit difficult to get on.
Also, does your boat have any cubicle to change in privacy?
Do you include flippers with the wet suit?
Regards
Trevor
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Hi Trevor, for the Dolphin Encounter you will be provided with a two piece 5mm wetsuit, mask and snorkel, flippers and a hood. Under your wetsuit you just need to wear your swimwear and nothing else.
It is easier if you wear your swimwear underneath your clothes on the day of your dolphin swim and you will be given time to put your wetsuit on.
How do I get this encounter from Christchurch
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Hi Barb. It's about a 2 hour drive from Christchurch to Kaikoura or there is a train that goes there and back. If you are thinking of booking the train please check the Kaikoura dolphin encounter availability with us first to make sure there is space for you on the date you wish to travel.
Hi, Is there any suitable season for dolphine watching? because i heard in winter season its hard to see more dolphine
Hi Madushika. Luckily in Kaikoura there is a resident pod of Dusky dolphins that can be found just off the coast all year round so no matter what time of year you are visiting Kaikoura you will be able to see and also swim with dolphins.
What guarantees do you have that we will swim with the dolphins and if we don't, what deal do you have.
Comments
Hi Steven. In Kaikoura, you swim with and watch wild dusky dolphins and its not possible to ever guarantee their presence. However, Kaikoura is renowned for its abundance and consistency of wildlife and once on the water we do have a very high success rate of locating the dusky dolphins. If for some reason you are not successful in locating the dolphins (due to such things as deteriorating weather conditions) you will receive a refund. All our tours are subject to a minimum operational cost. This means that if the boat actually goes out and you get a tour but dont see any dolphins then you will be refunded all but $40 per person. If you are booked on a Dolphin Swim and you spot dolphins but dont get to swim with them then you will be refunded the swim portion of the cost which is $80. This time of year it is extremely rare not to see any dolphins as they are very active close to shore.
What date were you considering booking this for? There are only 13 swim spots per trip so I would recommend booking quite a long way in advance.
My Daughter & I are booked in for a Swim with the dolphins on Monday 02 July at 12:30pm. We arrive into Kaikoura on the train at 9:54 and we are staying at the Anchor Inn Motel. I was wondering do we have time to drop our luggage off at the Motel or can we leave it somewhere at your centre & then we can just grab our luggage when we get back & then walk down to our Motel? If you can tell me what is the correct thing to do. Thanks Sharon
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Hi Sharon, if your train arrives in at 10am you will have plenty of time to drop your gear at your Motel as it is only 2.5kms from your accommodation and your check in time at Encounter Kaikoura isn't until 12.15pm.
Hi my name is melissa, i am travelling with my friend to Kaikoura on the 12th september 2012 from Australia to swim with the Dolphin and were enquiring about available times to go on the cruise and swim with them.
We are hoping to do it at 12.30pm on the 12/09/12 or 8.30am on the 13/09/12.
we need to know asap as we are booking our flights this week and desperately want to do this dolphin encounter! thanks so much
Comments
Hi Melissa, you can go on the Dolphin Encouner in Kaikoura either on the 12.30pm departure on the 12/9 or the 8.30am departure on the 13/9. There is plenty of space at this time for those departures so it's just whatever you would prefer.
rating
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Reply from Everything Travel Group
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your great experience. We hope you had a great time in New Zealand! All the best & stay safe!
Posted 29-Mar-2020