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Opinions DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER Kaikoura

Members' reviews on DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER

4.9/5
28 reviews
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Value for money
Service

The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.

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Mark J.
Mark J.
Visited in april 2024
Went to the Café every morning for 2 weeks, on my walk with Manuka, the labrador. The Café team was great, and coffee consistently good!
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Quentin 0.
Quentin 0.
Visited in april 2024
Great experience overall. Very nice staff and everything is super well organised! Amazing to see so many dolphins swimming at the same time.

If you are flexible on your dates I would recommend avoiding to take the tour after rainy days: there are some rivers in the area and if it’s been wet over the past few days the water might not be very clear and it can affect significantly the visibility under the water. And I guess also the playfulness of the dolphins, who won’t see much either!
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Yashaswin K.
Yashaswin K.
Visited in april 2024
Awesome tour with lots of dolphins to watch. People working on the deck give good tour experience. Enjoyed it throughly.
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Artem A.
Artem A.
Visited in april 2024
Very popular, so book in advance
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Val R.
Val R.
Visited in april 2024
Great trip. Not along trip. Got to see heaps...sperm whale, dolphins, albatrosses, seals . Very informative.
Would do again.
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Sebastian H.
Sebastian H.
Visited in april 2024
Vielen Dank für diese wundervolle Erfahrung!!
Das Team vom Kaikoura Dolphin encounter bemüht sich um jeden einzelnen ihrer Gäste ohne das Wohl der Tiere aus dem Auge zu verlieren. Von Anfang bis Ende der Tour war alles perfekt organisiert ohne das Hektik oder Stress aufkam. In keinem Moment der Tour hatte man das Gefühl dass es sich um reine Massenabfertigung handelte. Wir hatten angegeben das ich keine gute und sichere Schwimmerin bin. Dadurch ist jeder der Mitarbeiter immer wieder intensiv auf mich eingegangen, hat gefragt wie ich mich fühle und mir immer wieder Tips gegeben. Viele auf unserer Tour sind Seekrank geworden. Die Guides haben sich um alle Kranken sehr gut gekümmert. Es war eine unvergessliche Tour und wir würden den Kaikoura Dolphin encounter zu 100% weiterempfehlen. Das preis Leistungs Verhältnis passt absolut!!
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Dee M.
Dee M.
Visited in april 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed our Albatross Experience today. Gary was our guide and he was the perfect mix of knowledgeable and great company.
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Daina N.
Daina N.
Visited in april 2024
Great food. Fast and friendly service. Definitely recommend
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Georgina B.
Georgina B.
Visited in april 2024
We swam with dolphins on Sunday and it was definitely our favourite experience so far in New Zealand. Amazing weather, amazing views & amazing crew (our fav was an English guy, didn’t catch his name but he was the only man working we saw on the boat). We were told there were four hundred dusky dolphins in the water on the day we swam, we even saw some rare hector’s dolphins a few times which was really cool. If you have a gopro, bring it, it’s definitely worth it. They said in our induction that seeing the dolphins was a privilege, there wasn’t a hundred percent chance there would be any, which was fair enough, but on our day you honestly couldn’t not see a pod of dolphins every few minutes underneath you in the water. We got in the water multiple times, chasing after the dolphins, on the last time I was too tired to swim but the wet suits were so buoyant I just floated on the surface and watched the dolphins bob and jump out of the water around me and other people whilst admiring the scenery. Definitely a bucket list item ticked off. For anyone unsure whether to spectate or swim I’d definitely say swim, even being not the strongest swimmer I had the best time. Thanks for this amazing experience!
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pcm l.
pcm l.
Visited in april 2024
Fantastic experience
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Daniel S.
Daniel S.
Visited in april 2024
A very well-run operation and an amazing experience with the dolphins. A must-do.
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Joelle D.
Joelle D.
Visited in april 2024
Un moment exceptionnel ! 5 plongées au milieu des dauphins qui passent autour de vous , un pur moment de bonheur et une équipe passionnée
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Raffaela S.
Raffaela S.
Visited in april 2024
We did the swim and it was just wonderful.
You have to keep in mind that there is no guarantee that dolphins will come up to you or engage with you. These are wild animals.

The staff was so nice and welcoming and well informed about the different species.
The only negative thing was that besides the toilet there is no “privat” changing room or whatever. Other than that just an amazing experience
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חן .
חן �.
Visited in april 2024
שחייה עם דולפינים- הכי הרבה דולפינים שראינו בחיים. זה כמה שעות הפלגה, קופצים למים בערך פעמיים בשביל לשחות איתם, ואז חוזרים לספינה וצופים בהם. ממש ממש מומלץ. בסוף יש גם מקלחות חמות
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Anna B.
Anna B.
Visited in april 2024
Everyone was very nice, helpful and open. The tour was very good. We had the tour booked with the tour guide. When I suddenly wasn't feeling well, they helped me straight away and looked after me.
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Jody
Jody
Visited in april 2024
Sorry I didn't get the chance to write anything before.

Honestly this was the most amazing experience I've ever had! I'm planning on bringing my family and others next time I come along. I now have such a huge appreciation for dolphins! Kaikoura is just a beautiful little place too. Recommend this to anyone who wants to explore, enjoys the ocean, wildlife or dolphins. Definitely an experience of a lifetime ✨️☺️
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Kim M.
Kim M.
Visited in april 2024
Best trip of my life. After the great dolphin swimming session, Orcas were spottet and we visited them. Had a great guide and the animals are incredible.
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Mike G.
Mike G.
Visited in april 2024
We eat at the Cafe. Coffee and food was great. ????
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김이슬
김이슬
Visited in march 2024
멋졌어요! 돌고래와 수영이라니 평생 잊을 수 없는 기억이 될거에요! 안전을 우선하는 직원분들 멋졌어요. 언제나 괘찮은지 지켜봐 주시고 안전을 우선시 하는 날카로움이 감사했습니다.
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iyer s.
iyer s.
Visited in march 2024
Friendly staff.. kind and generous.. spotted lots of dolphins.. my kids ages 8 and 4 enjoyed the experience.. happy kids.. happy parents
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Ami
Ami
Visited in march 2024
This was a sensational experience. It was well organised from check-in, from putting on the gear needed, to getting the bus and boat ride out to the dolphins pods. The dusky dolphins are incredible, and it is completely their choice to approach you. It is wild swimming. I rented a GoPro and so glad I did, as these dolphins are so inquisitive and playful, and I have wonderful videos to look back on - they enjoyed watching me run rings around them trying to keep up! I loved being amongst them and the Dolphin Encounter team made it possible. I was debating what to do in Kaikoura and I'm SO pleased I chose to go wild swimming with these remarkable animals.
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Michelle R.
Michelle R.
Visited in march 2024
Amazing ! Went out on a perfect day weather wise and the dolphins seemed to be enjoying themselves as well, very playful and loads of them. Everywhere. I went in for a swim and they were close and would swim under you and if you were lucky circle you. So much fun. . A very special experience. The organization on the day was spot on, everyone was friendly and professional. I wanted to book another trip immediately.
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CARLOS M.
CARLOS M.
Visited in march 2024
Puedo decir que una de la mejores experiencias de nz
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Connie S.
Connie S.
Visited in march 2024
Can’t recommend the dolphin encounter enough! The whole trip is done so well, with great respect for the dolphins and environment. We went out on the boat for about 20-30 mins to a spot where dolphins are usually sighted and after observing them for a while we went in the water. We did this a few times and then watched them for a while after getting out. It’s an experience that is so special it’s hard to articulate and I encourage anyone considering it to absolutely do it. I went on the 6am trip and also saw a beautiful sunrise. Big thanks to everyone at encounter Kaikoura for the experience.
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Bruce C.
Bruce C.
Visited in march 2024
My wife and I went for the watching option instead of swimming with the dolphins. It was great! We stayed on the upper deck with the captain and had a good 360 degree view. The captain, Culley, was very helpful in pointing out the characteristics of dolphins he has observed over the years.
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fdlp
fdlp
Visited in january 2017
Value for money
Service
Un moment magique! Nager avec une vingtaine de dauphins tres joueurs, a presque pouvoir les toucher. Equipements fournis, rien a redire. Fortement conseillé pour des souvenirs grandioses.
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cadada
cadada
Visited in march 2016
Value for money
Service
It is the only company to Kaikoura which offers to swim with dolphins or simply as of observing them during a cruise. If you want to swim with dolphins, I advise you to reserve several days in advance because it is much in demand activity! I did not organise myself enough, and I could not swim with dolphins but only to watch them. And it was magical! The boat was surrounded by hundreds of dolphins (more than 200 according to the guide), which swam, sellado, played around the boat and swimmers. Just exceptional. In addition the staff very pleasant and smiling, and the towers are really very well organised. Do not hesitate, it is a beautiful day that await you!
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albatraose
albatraose
Value for money
Service
Plusieurs petits groupes sont lâchés à plusieurs reprises au milieu des bancs de centaine de dauphins curieux et joueurs. Les combinaisons épaisses permettent de flôter et de ne pas avoir froid dans l’eau. Après au moins 4 rencontres avec les cétacés, vous serez appelés à remonter à bord pour les observer en sirotant un petit chocolat chaud. Le staff est tes sympa et l’organisation très bien huilée. Bref, une demie-journée inoubliable.
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DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER

Open - from 07h30 to 17h00

Go there and contact

Carte de l'emplacement de l'établissement
96, Esplanade, Kaikoura, New Zealand
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+64 3 319 6777
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Opening hours

Monday
07:30 - 17:00
Tuesday
07:30 - 17:00
Wednesday
07:30 - 17:00
Thursday
07:30 - 16:30
Friday
07:30 - 17:00
Saturday
07:30 - 17:00
Sunday
07:30 - 17:00
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