Nestled between the rugged mountains of the Seaward Kaikoura mountain range and the mighty Pacific Ocean, lies the charming coastal town of Kaikoura, New Zealand. Located on the northeast coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Kaikoura (or Kaikōura by it’s original Maori spelling) is famous for its seafood (particularly crayfish), incredible landscapes and rich marine life.
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Introduction to Dolphin Watching in Kaikoura, New Zealand
Kaikoura lies on the east coast of New Zealand’s dramatic South Island, and is a place where the mountains meet the sea, offering dramatic landscapes and some of the most diverse marine wildlife encounters in the world.
Nestled between the towering Seaward Kaikoura mountain range and the Pacific Ocean, this coastal town has long been famous for its seafood (especially crayfish) and as a haven for marine life enthusiasts. Whether you’re here for whale watching, seals, or dolphins, Kaikoura is the place to experience New Zealand’s incredible natural beauty.
For me, as a photographer who’s always on the lookout for that perfect wildlife shot, Kaikoura held a special allure. I had the amazing opportunity to travel here as part of a campaign with Flash Pack, and this dolphin-watching experience was one of the major highlights of our adventure.
This New Zealand trip gave me the chance to snorkel with Dusky Dolphins, a species renowned for their playful nature and acrobatic displays. As someone who’s previously tried snorkeling with Basking Sharks in Cornwall—without much luck—I was eager to see if this time would be different. Would I finally get my shot at swimming alongside these majestic creatures, or would they elude me once again? This was my chance to find out!
Dusky Dolphins of Kaikōura: What to Expect
Dusky Dolphins are medium sized (1.9m – 2.1m) with a very striking white blaze on their flank, making them very easy to identify, and also makes them very photogenic when they breach! This species are very agile in the water, and incredibly social and agile, often will check out boats in the area and ride off the bow.
Typically, pods are made of up to 20 individuals, but it has been known of several different pods of Dolphins to hang out together making up to 500-1000 dolphins in one area, particularly off the coast of Kaikōura. So why is Kaikōura so popular with marine life?
Why Kaikoura is a Marine Wildlife Haven?
The reason for Kaikōura’s diverse array of marine life is mostly thanks to the Kaikōura Canyon, submarine canyon located off the Kaikōura Coast. With depths of up to 1200m, this canyon pushes cold water from the depths up to the surface, bringing along with it a mixture of nutrients which begins a food chain from Plankton all the way up to Whales and Dolphins.
Other Marine Wildlife You May See in Kaikoura
While the Dusky Dolphins are the stars of the show for me, Kaikōura’s waters are home to so much more. Keep an eye out for the Fur Seals lounging along the coastline or swimming nearby.
If you’re lucky, you might also spot a Lesser Albatross soaring over the waves—it followed our boat for a while on the way back! There is also a small rocky islet which is protected and home to hundreds of albatross just off the coast.
The rich ecosystem created by the Kaikōura Canyon means there’s always a surprise waiting, whether it’s different dolphin species, playful seals, or a variety of seabirds.
If you’re here for the marine life, Kaikoura is a great place for whale watching tours, where you can witness the majestic Sperm Whales and other species that call this region home. There is an option to do the Whale watching in Kaikoura by boat or Whale Watch by helicopter for insane views.
How to Prepare for Your Dolphin Watching Adventure
While there are several Dolphin tour providers in Kaikōura, today I would be heading out with Dolphin Encounter, otherwise known as Encounter Kaikōura. Dolphin Encounter have been providing tours for over 30 years in the area, so they know the marine life, behavior patterns and sea & weather patterns very well.
To book this you can book a dolphin tour as part of a Dolphin Cruise day trip from Christchurch or stay in Kaikoura book with dolphin encounter here.
I was booked onto the 1pm trip, which meant checking in at 12.30pm at their HQ on the main esplanade. This involved getting kitted out into the provided wet suits, fins, snorkels and masks, followed by a safety briefing and video. As they operate with two boats on one departure, the group is split in half and each group has their own coloured arm band, meaning you can be easily identified out in the water.
Group kitted up and ready to jump in © Josh Raper Photography The group looking out for the next pod of dolphins with their snorkels on © Josh Raper Photography
Kitted up and briefed, it was time to jump onto the shuttle bus and down to the jetty! These tours generally last around 4 hours from start to finish, with an estimated 20-40 of snorkeling time in the water.
From the moment you leave H.Q, you stay in your wetsuit and have your fins and snorkeling gear readily available, meaning as soon as you reach an area with Dolphins, you’re ready to jump straight in. Journey times out to where the Dolphins are varies from day to day depending on their location, but luckily the boat journey is stunning enough it doesn’t really matter.
Cruising south away from the Jetty, we were treated to incredible views to the rugged coastline of Gooch Bay and Goose Bay, as well as the towering mountain ranges behind. Blessed with a sunny day and low wind conditions, the boat journey was fairly smooth, although regardless of conditions I would still advise taking sea sickness tablets if you suffer from this like I do!
Ethical Dolphin Watching: Respecting Wildlife in Kaikoura
The great thing about Kaikōura and the tour operators here , is that the welfare of the wildlife always comes first, and Dolphin Encounters is no exception. Their permits for these waters allow them only up to 3 tours per day with plenty of time in-between so as not to alter their natural behaviors.
Rather than the boats chasing after pods and altering their direction, the boats instead anticipate the Dolphins movements and position themselves so that the Dusky Dolphins always have a choice on whether to interact or not. There is also a no touching policy, meaning that Dolphins don’t get used to being handled by humans allowing their natural behaviors to be unaltered.
My Personal Experience Dolphin Watching in Kaikoura
We cruised out in convoy with the other boat for around 30 minutes. Everyone was keeping an eye out for any sign of life on the surface and you could sense the excited and nervous tension in the air. The skipper being up on the bridge had a much higher viewpoint so could see much further than we could.
Suddenly, our speed drastically dropped and a shout from the bridge called down to us – “Dolphins at 11 O’clock!”. A pod of Dusky Dolphins could be seen heading north towards us, their curious nature evident as they came to check us out as they would occasionally breach.
With the captain skillfuly spinning us around so the stern of the boat was facing the pod, the snorkelers got to their positions sat on the edge of the diving paltform, ready for the call to enter.
The great thing about this tour is that you’re not committed to snorkeling at every drop if you just want to observe and take photos, or even just a breather. I opted to stay on the boat for the first two swims as I wanted to photograph the Dolphins from the surface and try to capture the ultimate breaching shot!
What makes being an observer even more entertaining is the fact that snorkelers are encouraged to make noises down their snorkels to attract the Dolphins’ attention.
If the Dolphins are interested, they’ll come and swim up to you and even start circling you as you swim around them. It’s truly magical from the snorkelers perspective if the Dolphins swim up to you, but pretty hilarious for the observers as it just sounds like very bad trumpet playing!
The dolphins getting closer to the snorkelling tourist © Josh Raper Photography Snorkelling between a large pod of dolphins off the coast of Kaikoura © Josh Raper Photography
During the first two snorkeling opportunities, we were incredibly lucky to have several more pods swim up to the boats, with a estimated total of around 250 Dusky Dolphins being in the same area. The captain was pretty blown away by this saying it’s rare to have this many on a tour, so we were really in luck. The good weather and calm sea conditions probably had something to do with this, as well as the activity in the water.
With the snorkelers back on board and as the boats repositioned themselves to allow space for the Dusky Dolphins to chose whether to come closer or not, I kitted myself up ready to enter the water. As the pods swam in the direction of the boats once more, the call was given to enter the water and I pushed myself off the platform, face first into the water.
Wearing a 5mm wetsuit the water isn’t much of a shock, and the fins make light work in calm conditions to swim. However, it was so easy to drift with the current, so it was important to keep an eye on the boat and watch for them pointing in the direction of the pods. Being above the trench and in deep water, you do feel very exposed, which was quite an experience.
Staying Calm and Enjoying the Dolphins
Dolphins off the coast of Kaikoura © by Josh Raper Photography Large pod of dolphins playing in the sea around the snorkeller © Josh Raper Photography Dolphins and Snorkellers in the sea off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand © Josh Raper Photography
Seeing the pods of Dusky Dolphins coming closer, I remained as calm as I could on the surface, allowing them to interact how they saw fit. It was amazing to see them up close as they circled around me, and to make eye contact with such a magical marine species was a real honour.
I spent around 20-25 minutes on and off in the water, having observed around 30-40 individuals in that time. The real highlight for me was diving down around 2-3 metres below the surface as a pod of 10 approached me. Not phased in the slightest, the Dolphins just passed around me and disappeared into the green haze of the deep ocean.
Heading back from the Boat Tour And Finishing the Tour
With the permitted time being in the area ending, it was time to cruise back to the jetty. Getting changed out of my wetsuit and back into some warm clothes, we all headed up onto the front of the boat.
To our amazement and delight, several of the pods followed us for around 20 minutes, taking the opportunity to ride of the bow and continue to play and breach in the distance before heading back out to the better feeding grounds of deeper waters.
Although Dusky Dolphins are the main attraction of this tour, it’s important to say you may be treated to more wildlife! On our cruise back to the jetty, a Lesser Albatross flew off the stern for around 5 minutes before heading back out into the bay.
Fur Seals are also a common sight along the coast line here, and well worth a drive along the coast road south from Kaikōura to see if you can spot any. Not to mention that the coastline here is just epic no matter the weather, and you never know what you may end up spotting!
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to go dolphin watching in Kaikōura?
Dolphin watching in Kaikōura is possible year-round, but the summer months (December to March) tend to have calmer seas and warmer weather, making it ideal for snorkeling.
Can you swim with dolphins in Kaikoura?
Yes! Many tours, such as those with Dolphin Encounter, allow you to swim with the Dusky Dolphins in their natural environment.
How long do dolphin watching tours in Kaikoura last?
Tours typically last around 3-4 hours, with about 20-40 minutes of water time if you are snorkeling.
What other marine life can I see while dolphin watching in Kaikoura?
Aside from Dusky Dolphins, you may spot Fur Seals, various seabirds like the Lesser Albatross, and on lucky occasions, other dolphin species.
Is Dolphin Watching In Kaikoura ethical?
Yes, operators like Dolphin Encounter prioritize the welfare of the dolphins. Tours are conducted under strict permits to ensure minimal disturbance to their natural behaviors.
Conclusion
Dolphin watching in Kaikōura was everything I’d hoped for and more. Being able to get so close to the playful Dusky Dolphins in such a stunning natural setting was truly unforgettable. The combination of Kaikōura’s epic scenery, rich marine life, and the ethical approach of the tour operators made the experience even more special.
Whether you’re in the water snorkeling alongside these curious creatures or simply enjoying the show from the boat, it’s something you’ll carry with you long after. And while the dolphins were the highlight for me, Kaikōura is full of marine wonders—including whales! If you’re planning a trip, don’t miss out on the chance to experience whale watching in Kaikōura. Check out my full guide here for tips on how to spot these giants of the deep.
