Before I even started planning my trip to New Zealand, there was one activity I knew I wanted to do – swimming with wild dolphins in Kaikoura. Turns out, it was a little more of a challenge than I anticipated thanks to a run of bad weather. The stars finally aligned though and in July 2023, I finally got to swim with wild dolphins. It was one of the best activities I’ve ever done. Below, you’ll find a guide to swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura as well as a recap of my experience. If you’re already planning the trip, here are 10 things you need to know about swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura.
Kaikoura is a sleepy little town on the east coast of the South Island. The town is known for its abundance of unique marine life including whales and dolphins. The dusky dolphin is a year-round resident here. They’re a very inquisitive species making it a great spot for this bucketlist activity.
For more information on Kaikoura and how to spend your time there, read the best things to do in Kaikoura.
How to swim with the dolphins in Kaikoura
Dolphin Encounter is the only company in Kaikoura which offer the chance to swim with the dolphins. I’d highly advise booking in advance as it’s a popular activity. During the summer, they run multiple tours per day including a sunrise tour. The tour operates all year round but in the winter, there will be less tours on offer so it’s a good idea to plan ahead.
The dusky dolphins are permanent residents in Kaikoura and this is generally the species you’ll swim with. You check in at the main office, gear up, have a safety briefing then you’ll be taken to the boat which is a short bus ride away.
The crew often know where the dolphins are as they work with other companies such as the scenic flight planes to track them. Once you find the dolphins, the crew will check the conditions and if it’s deemed safe and suitable, you can jump in.
If you don’t want to swim with them, you can choose a spectator option too.
The cost to swim with the dolphins is $220NZD (July 23).
A recap of my experience swimming with the dolphins
I was initially unlucky as my tour was cancelled four times due to bad weather. The last time it got cancelled, I gave up and requested a refund as I was leaving Kaikoura that day. But for whatever reason, my gut told me to stay another night. I had planned to set off on my drive to Christchurch early the next morning but at the last minute, decided to call Dolphin Encounter to see if they were going out. It was good news – yes they were, but if I wanted to go I had to be quick and get there in 15 minutes.
The check-in process was very efficient. Once you arrive, you’re given a wetsuit, boots, gloves, fins and a hood to put on. You’ll also be given a snorkel and mask. It’s important to try everything on straight away and remember to take everything with you. The crew don’t carry spares of anything on the boat. When we were all suited up, we sat down to watch a safety briefing video. After a few minutes, our guide, Chantelle, abruptly ended the video. I assumed the worst – the trip was cancelled. Turns out they wanted to get ahead of a storm so told us to jump on the bus.
The boat is about a five-minute drive from the office. When you’re on the boat, you’re told to get ready to go into the water. It didn’t take us long to find the dolphins – the company work closely with other operators and have a dolphin spotter who goes ahead of the boat to find them. After 20 minutes, we were surrounded by dolphins and told to jump in. There was a storm coming and we didn’t know how long we would have in the water so we were told to get in as quickly as possible.
Jumping into the water and seeing the dolphins swimming around you is an experience like no other. It was truly magical. We were lucky in that we were able to stay in the water for 40 minutes. Sometimes, you’ll stay in for shorter periods and move on to other pods of dolphins (mainly if the ones you’re with aren’t engaging with you). Luckily, this pod couldn’t have been more inquisitive and spent the whole time circling us and blowing bubbles. Our crew estimated there were around 400 dolphins in this pod swimming around us. It blows my mind still!
The timing worked out perfectly for us. Once we all got out of the water the storm hit and the afternoon sailing trip was cancelled. We stayed with the dolphins for a few more minutes then headed back to shore.
A review of my experience swimming with the dolphins
Honestly, this was one of the best activities I have ever done in all my travels. Swimming with the dolphins aside, the crew were fantastic. Safety was their number one priority and they were professional, passionate and clearly loved doing what they do.
One of the points I particularly liked was how much of a natural experience this was. I’ve been in countries before where boats crowd animals and there are way too many people jumping in trying to get a closer look. This just wasn’t the case here. They are the only company allowed to do this and we were the only boat with the dolphins. The crew did nothing to artificially attract the animals. They weren’t fed or trapped anywhere. We were warned that sometimes the dolphins aren’t interested and if that’s the case, we’ll have to get out. I liked that element of respecting that they are completely wild animals. We are in their home and need to be respectful.
The group was also very small. There were 7 swimmers in our group and Dolphin Encounter has a strict limit on each trip to ensure there are not too many people in the water. It’s such a hard balance to be able to do activities like this whilst still respecting the animals, but I think this company have nailed it. I honestly can’t recommend swimming with the dolphins enough.
Are there other places to swim with dolphins in New Zealand?
There are other places in New Zealand where you can swim with dolphins, but Kaikoura is renowned as the best. This is due to its abundance of marine life and almost a guarantee of swimming with large numbers of dusky dolphins.
The only downside is how rough the ocean can be in this area. Other spots such as the dolphin swimming in Picton are in a much less exposed area so you don’t generally have the same issues with wild and seasickness-inducing oceans.
Are you guaranteed to swim with the dolphins?
Nope, you’re not guaranteed to swim with the dolphins. The dolphins are completely wild and the crew can never make any promises. If the crew can’t find the dolphins, you’ll receive a refund minus a small operational cost.
Sometimes, you’ll find dolphins but can’t swim with them. This might be because there are baby dolphins in the pod or because the sea conditions have worsened. When this happens, you’ll receive a refund minus the spectator cost.
Is swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura worth it?
Yes. Yes. Yes. It’s absolutely worth it. If you are only planning to do one activity in Kaikoura, make it this. It’s such a memorable experience and there are not many places in the world where you can do this.
One of the best parts of the experience for me was seeing how many dolphins there were. I was surrounded by them, I counted seven all around me at one point. When we got out of the water, our crew said there were around 400 in the pod.
Is swimming with the dolphins safe?
Dolphin Encounter has many rules in place to make sure you stay safe. Before we got into the water, the crew gave us an in-depth safety briefing and reminded us of the key points. When in the water, they were constantly watching you. You’re told to stick together as a group to avoid anyone drifting too far. I never felt unsafe doing this activity. The crew had many rules and safety protocols in place and it was clear that safety was the most important thing.
Having said that, there are always risks when swimming in the open ocean and I’d say you need to be a confident swimmer to do this activity.
What should you wear?
You’ll need to wear your swimwear when you check in so you can pop your wet suit over the top. I’d suggest taking dry clothes with you on the boat so you can change into something warmer. They don’t provide towels, so it’s important to take your own.
Remember to check out 10 things you need to know about swimming with the dolphins in Kaikoura. If you also want the chance to see whales, here’s a whale watching guide for Kaikoura.
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