Dolphin Encounter
Dolphin Encounter
5
Scuba & SnorkellingBoat ToursEco ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Full view
About
One of the best places in the world to encounter dolphins in the wild! We operate on the dolphins' terms. Swim with the dolphins in their natural environment or watch their acrobatic displays form the comfort of the boat.
Kaikoura, New Zealand
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
1,491 reviews
Excellent
1,367
Very good
86
Average
21
Poor
10
Terrible
7
Madeline E
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
This is the best experience! The dolphins are incredible, and it is just wonderful to be in the water with them. The staff are also amazing, super kind and helpful. Thanks for Harry and Tilly for making our voyage extra special!! We went with our three young kids, only one of who was old enough to swim off the boat with me and my husband. The company kindly allowed my husband and I to “share” our swim so one of us could swim with our big kid while the other was with the little kids. Such a treat!!
Written 9 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mimstravels
Ulverston, UK16 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Smooth operation , brilliant staff who really wanted you to have a great experience and were so enthusiastic !
Jumped into swim several times , awesome experience !
Jumped into swim several times , awesome experience !
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your review! Stoked you enjoyed the experience! :-)
Written 6 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul S
12 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Just finished the Dolphin Encounter experience and it was magical. I read many reviews which get your hopes up and could easily lead to disappointment but it was awesome. Dolphin Encounter does an amazing job and you won’t be disappointed if you book this experience - it’s in my top 10 and Dolphin Encounter provides an incredible experience.
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fantastic to read your comment! Stoked to be in the Top 10 and delighted that you enjoyed the experience! Thanks for joining us aboard! :-)
Written 22 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jonathan G
25 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
The dolphin encounter experience was provided by very helpful friendly group of staff! They helped everyone to have a top experience. We saw many many dolphins on this enjoyable trip!
Written 8 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review - fantastic you got to see lots of dolphins! :-)
Written 12 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
olsparky5
Brigham City, UT9 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This was such an amazing experience! The crew and staff were so good to us. My wife gets motion sickness, and despite using double the patch typically needed, and some Dramamine, she still got sick on the boat. This was a bucket list item for her so she persevered, but the crew was very attentive, and they even went above and beyond and sent a car to get her back to the office and a warm shower faster than the bus would have been (we were there just as spring was starting and so it was still pretty cold, and it was raining that day too).
I would highly recommend this activity and this company to anyone! Thank you for making my wife’s lifelong dream come true, and taking such good care of her.
I would highly recommend this activity and this company to anyone! Thank you for making my wife’s lifelong dream come true, and taking such good care of her.
Written 7 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback. So glad you enjoyed your experience! We are glad we were able to assist your wife in realising her dream despite the pesky sea sickness and do hope the memories she keeps are the fond ones now she is back on terra firma! :-)
Written 12 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kingdom103
Wellington, New Zealand8 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
Really professional and was just the way they said it would be. Instructions were clear and staff very helpful. Swam with about 10 dolphins, which apparently was a small group, but they were fantastic and eager to interact. Would thoroughly recommend.
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, we appreciate it! We love how curious and interactive the dolphins are too! So pleased you enjoyed your time aboard with us :-)
Written 18 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Picknick87
11 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
Amazing trip to the dusky dolphins. We could not swim on the Morning tour due to the visit of Orcas. It was so special to see the dolphins and the Orcas in nature. A must do. I try it again to swim with the dolphins.
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So jealous! You are one of the lucky ones to catch up with orca on your tour - how special! :-) Fantastic that you tried again for a swim too - best of both worlds! :-)
Written 18 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
N Kuek
10 contributions
Apr 2023
A memorable wildlife experience. I was a spectator on the dolphin tour. I was the only one on the boat and everyone else swam, but the guides made sure I was looked after as well. The company and guides are safety conscious and teach everyone to be respectful of the dolphins. I went on the sunrise tour so I got to see these wonderfully acrobatic dolphins and a sunrise as well. The guides really made the tour that much more special and I walked away with a greater appreciation of the marine life in Kaikoura.
Written 26 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your review. Sounds like a magical morning! Our team love what they do and we are so thrilled you appreciated them :-)
Written 18 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ollie F
7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
This was truly the best experience of my life!! I cannot find the words to express how brilliant this tour is!
After a short briefing and fitting our wetsuits, we were out on the water to find a pod of Dusky Dolphins to swim with. We found a pod of hundreds of dolphins, (Dusky and Common), which were circling around us and interacting with the swimmers.
The encounter was incredibly close-up, you could look them in the eye as they swam past! Another bonus is the fact that after the swims, (we did 3 swims overall and spent around 40 minutes in the water), we spent 30 minutes taking photos and videos of the dolphins, who were performing amazing acrobatic stunts, before returning to the harbour.
Huge thanks to our incredible guide Faye, who provided loads of information about the dolphins, for taking me on the greatest tour of my life!
After a short briefing and fitting our wetsuits, we were out on the water to find a pod of Dusky Dolphins to swim with. We found a pod of hundreds of dolphins, (Dusky and Common), which were circling around us and interacting with the swimmers.
The encounter was incredibly close-up, you could look them in the eye as they swam past! Another bonus is the fact that after the swims, (we did 3 swims overall and spent around 40 minutes in the water), we spent 30 minutes taking photos and videos of the dolphins, who were performing amazing acrobatic stunts, before returning to the harbour.
Huge thanks to our incredible guide Faye, who provided loads of information about the dolphins, for taking me on the greatest tour of my life!
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your review Ollie it was a buzz to read it! Thank you for finding the words and we are so stoked you had such a great experience! :-)
Written 18 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marylou
Kallaroo, Australia20 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
Can't rate this highly enough. It is simply a must do! We saw a 50-100 sized pod of Dusky dolphins who were only too happy to hang around, interact and put on a show for us. On the way back, some Hector dolphins (one of the smallest dolphin species and endemic to NZ) graced us with a tag along and a whale (jury's out whether it was a blue or sperm whale) gave us a surprise visit as well. I opted to watch versus swim due to only just having recovered from illness however, I must say that at no point did I feel like I missed out. The Duskies really make sure they're seen and enjoyed by all. A wonderful and well organised experience!
Written 9 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to post your review and we are so glad you enjoyed your time aboard! :-)
Written 21 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi, planning to do this activity this coming summer. We are all swimmers but don’t have much experience in open waters. Are there life jackets available for the less confident?
Gemma B
Taupo, New Zealand248 contributions
Are babies allowed? (6 month old in a front pack)
Hello,
We want to swim with dolphins the 22!of january but we want to know which time you prefer? At 5:30 or 8:30 in the morning?
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Kaikoura, New Zealand1 contribution
Hi great you are planning to join us aboard!
We are fortunate to enjoy a success rate of over 90% on all our tours! There is not too much difference between the two departures, our crew favour the early morning tour at 5.30am as the sea is 'typically' calmer earlier in the day (please note this is a general and not an absolute rule)
We look forward to seeing you whichever time you choose!
Be sure to book well ahead as we often sell out well in advance in summer!
Wanderlust19802008
New Delhi, India660 contributions
Hi . Planning to do the dolphin watch tour on the 8th nov. Is the 8:30 slot better than the 12:30 slot for watching dolphins ?thanks
Sahar Zadok
4 contributions
Hi,
Sorry iv'e seen your message only now.
hope u had a great time
How many days in advance should you book a tour during spring time??
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Kaikoura, New Zealand1 contribution
Hi Gil, Exactly as Bob said (thanks Bob!) if you know your schedule book as far ahead as you can to secure your preferred departure :-) You can make change (subject to availability) or cancellation up until 4pm the day prior to the tour without charge. We look forward to welcoming you aboard! :-)
Chubby_chally
Jakarta, Indonesia103 contributions
How long is the trip take? I choose swim and watch with dolphin at 5.30 check in time
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Kaikoura, New Zealand1 contribution
We suggest your allow around 3.5-4 hours for the tour - we look forward to welcoming you aboard!
monika n
9 contributions
We are traveling in May ..8 th of May 2019 .. will it be possible for us to do this trip ?
We are average swimmers .
Nettantor
Scheiblingkirchen, Austria52 contributions
It deepends on the weather on this day, but when it is ok you will be able to do this trip and i think you will enjoy it.
2631juhi
Pune, India10 contributions
Hi , we are traveling to kaikuora on 25 april2019. Is it a good time to do this activity
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Kaikoura, New Zealand1 contribution
Hello thanks for your interest and thanks to all the contributors above! Everything they said is accurate; we do operate year round weather permitting. At this stage we do still have availability on the 25th April, but this is of course subject to change. We hope to receive a booking and to welcome you aboard! :-)
GinaDig
166 contributions
We are off to Kaikoura in October. Is it worth doing both the Whale Watching tour & the Dolphin Encounter? We want to swim with the dolphins but can you can see whales too...or are each experiences unique & only do what they say they do?
Thanks
Eliza K
Perth, Australia54 contributions
We saw some whales from the dolphin boat but I don’t know if that Halle a every time. The dolphin swim is worth it