Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura

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Dolphin Encounter
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Swim with Dolphins in Kaikoura

All prices shown in NZD$.

Genuine Customer Reviews powered by Feefo

Service rating:

One of the best experiences of my life. Worth every cent and more. The staff were amazing and I had four swimming sessions, surrounded by dolphins each time.

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Incredible experience. Once in a lifetime .

Reviewed 10-Mar-2024

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It was the best thing Iโ€˜ve ever did!!! Just magical! Thank you for this great experience. Really really nice and helpful people, thanks! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฌ

Product rating:

Easy booking, very good Management

Reviewed 03-Mar-2024

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Just everything wasgood

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Such a good experience, with such nice and caring People.

Reviewed 23-Feb-2024

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Amazing experience the guides clearly love what they do and gave lots of information it felt really personal. I cannot recommend enough

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Incredible experience the most amazing day

Reviewed 09-Feb-2024

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A very professional service and an amazing experience, thanks team! Iโ€™ve been welcomed very personally, the check-in went smooth, staff is very friendly and knows whatโ€™s happening. Informs well and feels responsible. Great teamwork. And of course to watch and swim with the dolphins is an amazing experience. Would definitely recommend them!

Product rating:

A very professional team, smooth processes, clear communication and taking great care of you! Very well informed and enthousiast!
Would really recommend them, they also take care of the environment.

Absolute unforgettable experience with the dolphins!

Reviewed 23-Jan-2024

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Great service.

Product rating:

Easy booking and a great trip!

Reviewed 14-Jan-2024

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Very helpful in changing time slots for us, quick and smooth response

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Super memorable experience, got to swim with so many dolphins

Reviewed 25-Dec-2023

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Was very good

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Amazing experience! Absolutely loved it! If I could give one piece of advice, it might be that given the water conditions, we should have put our goproยด's on a wider angle, as none of us got a dolphin underwater on the gopro. Saw tons tho, so that was amazing!

Reviewed 26-Mar-2023

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So worth it. Really good tour guides and a great experience

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Amazing experience would do again

Reviewed 09-Mar-2023

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Service in all areas of safety and enjoyment and staff interaction were fantastic.

Product rating:

Fantastic information with all related aspects of this trip.

Reviewed 18-Mar-2020

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

Service rating:

They are very reliable, friendly and reply quick to the emails.

Product rating:

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 :-)

Reviewed 04-Jan-2020

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!

Posted 05-Jan-2020

Service rating:

The Dolphin Encounter was well organized from the get go. Great communication. The knowledgable guides were enthusiastic and informative.

Product rating:

This was a special afternoon - to swim with dolphins in their environment!

Reviewed 17-Feb-2019

Service rating:

๋งค์šฐ ๋งŒ์กฑ์Šค๋Ÿฐ ์•กํ‹ฐ๋น„ํ‹ฐ ์˜€์Šต๋‹ˆ๋‹ค.
์Šคํƒญ๋“ค๋„ ์นœ์ ˆํ•˜๊ณ  ์ œ๋ฐ˜ ์‹œ์„ค๋“ฑ์ด ๋งค์šฐ ํ›Œ๋ฅญํ–ˆ์Šต๋‹ˆ๋‹ค.

Product rating:

ํˆฌ์–ด ํ”„๋กœ๊ทธ๋žจ์ด ๋งค์šฐ ์ž˜ ์งœ์•ผ์ง„ ๋Š๋‚Œ์ด์—ˆ๊ณ ,
์‹œ์„ค์ด๋‚˜ ์Šคํƒญ ๋ชจ๋‘ ๋งŒ์กฑ์Šค๋Ÿฌ์› ์”๋‹ˆ๋‹ค.

Reviewed 22-Jan-2019

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Staff were fantastic and supportive give the rough seas . Highly recommended

Reviewed 13-Jan-2019

Service rating:

Excellent service

Product rating:

Amazing experience! We saw tons and tons of dolphins, including three different species. The water was very cold, but well worth it.

Reviewed 21-Aug-2018

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Wings over whales pilots were friendly, informative and views were spectacular.

Product rating:

The dolphin encounter experience in the water was incredible. Felt safe and staff were wonderful.

Reviewed 21-Mar-2018

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Wonderful staff and amazing experience. Very efficient and professional experience.

Reviewed 24-Jan-2018

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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

Product rating:

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.

Reviewed 25-Feb-2016

Service rating:

Wonderful family service from the Swimming with Seals team

Product rating:

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

Reviewed 12-Jan-2016

Service rating:

response quickly and effectively

cancelled

Reviewed 26-Sep-2015

Service rating:

Staff were very good instructions were good and clear desk staffexcellent and friendly

Product rating:

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!!!!

Reviewed 14-Mar-2015

Service rating:

Everything was very easy, good customer service would highly recommend.

Product rating:

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.

Reviewed 11-Feb-2015

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It was a brilliant day out. The team were very nice

Product rating:

Dolphins are my favourite animals, it was nice to see them in their natural habitat.

Reviewed 26-Jan-2015

Service rating:

The service was excellent. The staff were very friendly and had a great sense of humour.

Product rating:

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!!!!!!!!!

Reviewed 23-Jan-2015

Service rating:

I had no trouble checking in when I got to the dolphin encounter but it helps if you print out your voucher!

Product rating:

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!

Reviewed 12-Jan-2015

Service rating:

Managed to get us tickets for Dolphin Encounter at short notice

Product rating:

Fantastic experience swimming with wild dolphins. Do it if you can!

Reviewed 27-Feb-2014

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No hickups....all went well......thanks

Product rating:

Really friendly guys and Gals.....no drama....kids loved it.

Reviewed 26-Jan-2014

Service rating:

The booking went alright, it allworked smoothly.

Product rating:

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!

Reviewed 22-Jan-2014

Service rating:

very helpful

Product rating:

The girls were fascinated by the dolphins, the staff was friendly and very helpful.

Reviewed 21-Jan-2014

Service rating:

super nice, kind and professional staff.
it was the first time, that all the promises fulfilled and even more.

Product rating:

Reviewed 04-Jan-2014

Service rating:

Ok nothing spectacluar

Product rating:

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.

Reviewed 03-Dec-2013

Service rating:

The service was excellent.

Product rating:

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.

Reviewed 01-Dec-2013

Latest Questions about Dolphin Encounter (Kaikoura)

If I go swimming with the Dolphins can my husband come on the boat but not swim with the Dolphin

Comments

Yes, if one person does not want to swim they can choose the watch (cruise only) option - 

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Kaitlin) on 16th Mar 24 at 14:50

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Does the Dolphin Encounter boat have wheelchair access?

Comments

Due to having limited space on the boat, there is no Wheelchair access

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Kaitlin) on 16th Mar 24 at 15:00

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If you have never done snorkelling before, but am comfortable in the water. Do you think I would still be able to go swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Encounter?

Comments

If you're a confident swimmer you can certainly come on out for the Dolphin Swim experience 

Comment by: Everything New Zealand on 3rd Aug 23 at 12:31

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I was wondering what wetsuit shampoo you use on your wetsuits for Dolphin Encounter.

Comments

I can confirm that the wetsuit shampoo used at Dolphin Encounter is Eclipse by Eco Chem

Comment by: Everything New Zealand (Kaitlin) on 22nd Apr 23 at 16:01

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Is 5:30 am or 8:30 am best for the Dolphin Encounter cruise

Comments

The Dolphin 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 therefore giving it an amazing view 

Comment by: Everything Travel Group on 19th Mar 23 at 11:57

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When are the Dolphin Super-pods in Kaikoura/best time to book the Dolphin Encounter

Comments

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. 

Comment by: etg on 25th Jun 22 at 10:38

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Is the dolphin encounter available in winter

Comments

Dolphin Encounter is available year-round! You are provided with wetsuits to keep you warm

Comment by: ETG Team on 27th Apr 22 at 11:55

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What is the temperature of the water in Kaikoura for the Dolphin Encounter

Comments

The average sea temperature in Kaikoura in December is about 14.9 degrees Celsius.

Comment by: Alicia - Everything New Zealand on 17th Sep 17 at 21:32

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do you provide life jacket for swimming with dolphin and snorkelling at Dolphin Encounter

Comments

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. 

Comment by: Everything Travel Group on 11th Jul 17 at 15:18

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What age can you swim with dolphins.

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.

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Callum) on 25th Oct 15 at 10:20

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If I can't swim very well, would I be able to wear a lifejacket so I could participate in the Dolphin encounter?

Comments

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. There is 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. 

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Belinda) on 27th Sep 14 at 12:02

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What to wear underneath a wetsuit for warmth and comfort. and does the Dolphin Encounter boat have any cubicle to change in privacy?

Comments

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. 

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Belinda) on 10th Sep 14 at 17:00

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How do I get this encounter from Christchurch

Comments

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.

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Callum) on 16th Feb 14 at 12:20

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.

Comment by: Everything Travel Group (Callum) on 11th May 14 at 12:15

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