Swimming with the dolphins off the Kaikoura coast is an incredibly exhilarating experience. There are various companies that provide these tours. We chose Dolphin adventures. In hindsight, it turned out to be a smart decision to make our bookings a couple of months in advance, as they were completely sold out three weeks before our trip. You have the option of either swimming with the dolphins or enjoying the tour from the boat. I strongly recommend the former.
The Dolphin adventures Team is thorough and professional. Once you are fitted with the necessary
wetsuits and snorkelling equipment, you are shown a short film on the dos and donts of swimming withe dolphins. It is made quite clear to the guests that we are entering the dolphins' environment and therefore it is imperative we do not harm or disturb them in any manner. The boat then takes us to 3 to 4 snorkelling sites. The professionalism of the Dolphin Adventures team comes through again on the boat. Guests with sea sickness are handled with expert ease and made to feel comfortable. They were people of all ages in our group, the youngest being 10 years old and the oldest in their 70s.
We encountered dolphins right at the first site. At the 3rd site, we encountered a pod of almost 300 dolphins. They are quite unafraid and extremely playful. It is recommend that you DO NOT touch the dolphins. But you will find that the dolphins swim around you, nudge you occasionally, dive over you, try to make eye contact and swim alongside you. Swimming with these gentle and friendly animals with a spectacular backdrop of the Kaikoura Seaward Mountain range is a surreal experience like no other.And DO rent an underwater camera if you don't own one. These are available for rent with Dolphin Adventures. There are so many photo worthy moments while swimming with the dolphins that is it truly a missed opportunity without an underwater camera.
(Photo courtesy: dolphin encounter.co.nz, kaikouramotel.co.nz)
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