Swimming with dolphins, it’s almost like a silly unfulfilled childhood dream. Like having houses with slides instead of stairs or an invitation to a chocolate factory. I’ve had this stance for a while now of avoiding wildlife in captivity such as zoos or aquariums and when we found out that there was the chance to swim with dusky dolphins in the wild, we went ahead and booked a morning excursion with Encounter Kaikōura.

Kaikōura is a stunning town and one of our favourite stops on the South Island, there were turquoise sparkling bays set against the backdrop of the snowy foothills of the Seaward Kaikōura Range. There were opportunities to spot sperm whale (in season), Hectors dolphins, dusky dolphins, fur seals and orcas. Marine animals were abundant in Kaikōura in particular due to the currents and the continental-shelf formation.

We were booked on a 9am slot (half day experience) with Encounter Kaikōura – there is nothing to bring on the excursion except for a bottle of water, swimming costume and a towel. “See that tennis court? That was lifted and thrown 2M in 2016” Kevin (the B&B owner) exclaimed. It was difficult to comprehend how a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, lasting 2 minutes, could reap such devastation through a small fishing village. It was through small moments like this during our trip that brought about the thought on how delicate and unpredictable life can be.

Upon arriving at Encounter Kaikoura, the operation was efficient and very friendly. We were offered sea sickness tablets to purchase for the boat ride (which we politely declined) and there was a helpful TV display showing the levels of swell and what to expect on the 30 minute boat ride. We were given coloured wrist-bands and browsed the shop whilst we waited for our group to be called.

Our wrist band colour (yellow) was called and from there we changed into a wetsuit with a neoprene jacket on top. There was a introductory safety video (featuring the kiwi sense of humour!) before proceeding to a short bus ride down to South Bay to board the boats.

The group sizes were no larger then 16 as the group was split into different boats. We were given a mask, snorkel and hood for the activity and depending on the time of year, we had the potential to swim with the dusky dolphins up to 5 times in different 10 minute sessions. The DOC (Department of Conservation) strictly regulates the natural encounters with the dolphins and swimmers swim with different dolphins in different time slots.

We were instructed to hum and sing into our snorkels, as the dolphins like to interact with us via the sound waves produced through the ocean. I would describe the encounter as ‘dancing with dolphins’ too. I was cheering, smiling ear to ear and felt the biggest sense of happiness swirling in the open oceans with the dusky dolphins (found only in the Southern Hemisphere). The tip was to hover on the surface of the water, and circle with the dolphin once they came up to interact with you – almost like a ballroom dance but with dolphins!

We quickly grew used to the protocol of entering the water on the blow of the whistle. In summer, the ocean temperature rarely rises above 18 degrees celsius and drops to around 9 degrees celsius in the winter months, however our wetsuits kept us toasty. My hands felt cold on the first swim but I quickly grew accustomed to the water with the different swim stops. The boat was equipped with a warm water hose for any swimmers who wanted to warm up after their time in the water.

After the swim sessions, the boat crew navigated us back to shore where we took pleasure in viewing the dolphins from the bow of the boat. We were even lucky enough to spot a humpback whale on the way back.

Swimming with dolphins in the Pacific Ocean was one of my most treasured memories in New Zealand, I’d highly recommend including the experience as part of your trip to Oceania.

Trip Tips 💡

• You can book the experience with Encounter Kaikōura either as a swimmer or spectator, it is a half day experience (4 hours) and the cost of a ticket as a ‘Spectator’ for boat based watching starts from $120 / £60. A ticket for ‘Swimmer’ is $240 / £120.
• Towels, swimming suits and go-pros can be hired locally (additional fee payable) at the venue if needed
• I would recommend booking at least a couple of weeks in advance, the activity is strictly regulated and this means that passenger numbers who can go on the activities are limited
• I would recommend a 2 night stay in Kaikoura, another recommended activity is the Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway (approx 4.5 miles) where you can view the bays and inlets with resident seal colonies.
• I used a GoPro 7 to video the encounters with dolphins
• We spotted a humpback whale on the way back and we were very lucky. However separate marine companies have separate licenses for different wildlife encounters, please bear this in mind if you are interested in other marine wildlife as well.
• Please feel free to contact me here via Hayes & Jarvis / Enchanting Travels if you are planning a private trip to New Zealand
• If you have any questions at all, feel free to comment here and I’ll be happy to help