Swimming with Dolphins in Akaroa: Close Encounter with Hector's Dolphins in New Zealand

Swim with wild Hector’s dolphins in Akaroa Harbour, New Zealand. An intimate wildlife experience with only 12 swimmers per vessel. Warm up with hot chocolate and enjoy a shower after the swim.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Akaroa Harbour - Akaroa Harbour is a tranquil bay, formed from the flooded crater of an extinct volcano, encircled by stunning volcanic cliffs. The Akaroa swimming with dolphins tour offers an intimate experience with a maximum of 12 people per boat.
    The 3-hour dolphin tour is highly sought after due to the limited number of passengers allowed per…
What's Included
  • 3.5 hours including suiting up/showers (2.5 hrs out on the water)
  • Final check-in is 15 minutes prior to tour time
  • Wetsuit, boots, and optional mask (for those swimming)
  • Hot chocolate & biscuit
  • Hot shower facilities
  • Includes live commentary from your skipper and guide
Additional Information

Small Group Tours - Enjoy a 3.5-hour adventure with a maximum of 12 swimmers, guided by our skipper and a nature expert, ensuring a personal experience. The tour starts at our facility on Akaroa’s main wharf, where you will meet fellow explorers and change into the provided wetsuits. After a briefing, board our specially designed boats for an…

Location
82 Beach Road
Beach Road
Departure Point: Akaroa's main wharf Dates: 1st October through to 30th April Return point: Cruise returns to original point of departure, check in time 15 minutes prior
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(204 Ratings)
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Z7816nlstephanier
Apr 25, 2024
Great experience - Friendly staff who looked after us well and answered all of our questions. They worked hard to make sure we had a good experience! Loved our experience swimming with the dolphins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Castiron135
Apr 2, 2024
This is the real McCoy when it comes to swimming with dolphins - Fantastic Crew with attention to detail. They take care of customers while teaching and protecting Hector’s Dolphins
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nickwc2353um
Apr 1, 2024
What a great trip! - The whole experience was excellent from seamless check-in, excellent equipment, great crew (big shout out to Chris and Nicole 👏) and a very professional outfit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gabbybisschops
Mar 29, 2024
Best Akaroa experience - Such a fantastic cruise. The staff were so friendly and kind. They really care about the animals and the nature. We didn't get to swim with any dolphins but I was so happy to have been able to see them and I love that the company cares about ensuring the dolphins are comfortable before putting people in the water with them rather than just getting people in the water regardless. Despite not swimming we got to see dolphins, seals and a lot of bird life. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hackswithrak
Mar 24, 2024
Excellent day with Black Cat - I was booked on the 0930 Dolphin Swim. Black Cat is very professional, setting us up with a briefing, wet suits that fit, complimentary lockers for our belongings and dry bags to take along cameras and phones. We set out to find a playful pod of Hector's dolphins. Black Cat guarantees that if you're not able to swim with the dolphins, they will provide a partial refund. The boat captain, Des, and his assistant, Harriet, were very knowledgeable and ensured the comfort of all participants, including warm blankets, hot chocolate and home made ginger snap cookies. Well worth the experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_p
Mar 22, 2024
Wonderful experience - The whole experience was excellent. Our guides Harriet and Thomas were very good and enthusiastic and made it a fun and memorable experience. We were lucky and saw a penguin on the way out to the dolphins. Conditions were good and we were able to spend 45 minutes in the water as they came to visit. The equipment was really good and the thick wetsuits kept us comfortable in the cold water. The warm water pumped into the wetsuit afterwards felt good! A great experience and highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Denaf343
Mar 15, 2024
Fantastic!!! - Great experience. Safety and explanation of the whole experience was clear. We LOVED our experience. Granted that you cannot control nature, however we lucked out and dolphins were everywhere. Bonus included penguins and fur seals. Truly a memorable day. Staff and skipper were top-notch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adrie_h
Feb 29, 2024
Saw a jumping dolf.... - Saw a jumping dolf. apparently you don't see that very often we were told. We could not swim with the dolfijnen as they were Watchung people.
Review provided by Viator
J_durban
Feb 26, 2024
Fun morning out - Great tour company. Guides were informative and entertaining. Unfortunately we didn’t get to swim with the dolphins as they weren’t in an interactive mood but it was great to see them swimming beside the boat. Also added bonus was penguins and seals.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robin_l
Mar 18, 2024
No swimming, poor service minds - Didn’t get to swim with dolphins because they weren’t around, which of course is not the company’s fault. They offered a 30% refund and we asked if we instead could get some of the free spots on the next tour, but they said we had to pay full price for that, really wanted to swim with dolphins but is it really reasonable to take 70% of the risk that there will be no swimming if we pay for another one? I feel that they could’ve offered us to go along with the next tour, that would’ve not cost them anything extra, but at least we would’ve got the experience we were looking for
Review provided by Viator
From $119
up to 12 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).