Amazing experience it was a perfect day and I'm so glad I've finally done it. Other than getting alittle woozy from the plane turning which I didn't expect the pilot straightened the plane out and I came right. It's not very long and it was totally worth it. Five stars must try.

Wow, what a trip. This is one of the best trips I have ever done, and I've done lots all around the world. Tracy, our guide was very knowledgeable about all the birds we saw. We saw so many close up; 3 different types of Albatross, Petrels, Terns, Shearwaters, Shags, Gulls and even a little Blue Penguin. As an added bonus, we saw a large pod of Dusky dolphins on our way back. I'm still smiling now, and it's 3 days later!

Very happy to have taken this tour, especially since it was a 5:45am start! We saw 3 types of albatross and many more other bird species. The captain heard on the radio that dolphins were about so he took us looking for them, which we found. I found the sea to be rough and I do suffer motion sickness, so be sure to take your motion sickness before leaving!

It was canceled on the day originally booked due to bad weather but I booked again for Saturday, it was very eventful with Hectors Dolphins greeting us, a whale sighting from afar but I didn't see and then a large pod of Dusky Dolphins and a few species of Albatross, fantastic tour, very cool they have someone spotting Dolphins, staff were great, helpful and informative. Wasn't a fan of the briefing or video at the start, more suited to the swimmers or visitors from out of town, country. But otherwise amazing, thank you.

We were absolutely delighted & blown away with the Dolphins ! They were everywhere and so close and it’s a thrill that words cannot express. The Kaikoura Dolphin watch staff are very helpful & knowledgeable about the Marine & nature environment. We would happily do it again & highly recommend it as we must have seen around 250 - 300 Dolphins in a fun loving happy mode.

Well organised and professional company. We saw about 4 different types of albatross as well as giant petrels and other birds. The boat captain puts out a cage with frozen fish livers which the birds are drawn to and we got such a long time to see the birds.

Wow! What an amazing experience. This is something everyone needs to experience. Truly magical. Kate was amazing as were all looking after us on board. My grandchildren loved their adventure ❤️

Amazing tour with Dolphin Encounter. I don't feel too comfortable in the open water, so the dolphin viewing was perfect for me. And there were quite a number of people on our boat where one person would do the Dolphin Swimming tour, while the spouse/partner can be on the same tour Dolphin Watching. What an acrobatic dolphin. They are consistently coming out of the water, even doing aerial flips. Company even told me beforehand that if their trip doesn't spot any dolphins, they would give me a refund. So can't go wrong with this tour. Hundreds of dolphins in our viewing. Cookie & hot drink during a crisp morning topped it off for a perfect expedition in Kaikoura.

The staff were so friendly and they made the experience so enjoyable - they were educational but not in a preachy way and the Dolphins were incredible

Great crew and everything that could be controlled was done with excellence. Cheers team!

Such a wonderful experience! The cruise was great and we were able to see a lot of wild dolphins jumping around the cruise! Highly recommend to people who love dolphins!!

first wow was seeing kaikoura, beach alongside snow capped mountain. then the dolphins were fun probably was expecting them to stay and play but they were in a pod moving - and there was 150 of them. One looked me right in the face and i felt contact. As we were leaving they took off and the entire horizon was a line of jumping dolphins a truly one in a million sight. staff were great

Best experience in Kaikoura! My bestfriend was very happy on her birthday seeing the dusky dolphins in the wild. We were also lucky to see an albatros flying and swimming around. Thanks to the lovely captain and crew of the boat. I highly recommend this activity to everyone.

Can't even begin to say how wonderful this experience was! Thank you!!!

What an experience!!! To be able to swim with wild dolphins in a safe environment was incredible! We were lucky enough to see both Hectors and Dusky Dolphins!

We had such an incredible time! Crew were brilliant. Within 5 minutes we spotted a pod and then within a short time we were swimming with about 200 or more dolphins. We even spotted some Hector dolphins. An experience I won’t forget!!

We had a great time. It was our first time kayaking and Connor our guide was informative, friendly and helpful. The guided trip was awesome - we got close to the seals and saw penguins and the views were very picturesque - got some good pics :D. Will definitely be using these guys again.

This was a last minute trip I decided to do whilst travelling alone but I had such a good time kayaking with these guys. Our guides were fun, laid back and knowledgeable and although the seals were feeling a little lazy and didn’t play in the water as much as we’d liked we still spotted lots and had a good time. Two things to mention: 1) You don’t get wet at all surprisingly, they have all the gear to keep you dry. 2) It’s not hard or exhausting at all. Definitely recommend

This tour made our holiday :) great hosts, very knowledgeable and absolutely fab wildlife encounter. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

We've had such a great time with Kaikoura kayaks. We've been really lucky to see group of dolphins that were hanging out around our kayaks :) also the staff was really friendly and knew some interesting facts around the area too! :) We definitely recommend this company to all of you!

No sunset for us on the night but lots of seals lazing around on the rocks. A great experience whilst visiting Kaikoura. Cowan was a great teacher and guide, setting you up with all the gear you need and skills to help you enjoy your time out on the water.

Fantastic afternoon kayaking- saw lots of NZ fur seals and they came right up to us! Great value for money and the staff were brilliant. Would highly recommend!

Absolutely loved the dolphin encounter kayak trip. Saw penguins and seals, one seal putting on a great performance right in front of the kayaks. Missed seeing dolphin, but the seal show we had was super special. Emma, our guide, expertly looked after us and gave great narrative into marine life. We loved this experience and 100% recommend it at any time of the year. You get wrapped up nice and snug with all the kayak stuff prior.

Fun, well guided adventure for all ages. Guides made sure we were well informed and felt save during the whole tour. Highly recommended for a fun day out!

Thanks for a great time out on the water. We had got to see the seals swimming, on the rocks and enjoyed watching the albatross. The guide was excellent, knowledgeable and entertaining. We had excellent gear and were well looked after. Very recommended. The only slight was the weather which prevented us from getting to close due to the swell - however this isn't a fault of the operator! I am sure if the weather had been great we would have had a 5 star experience.

Fantastic day out with a knowledgeable guide. Lots of seals and wildlife. Great family fun at a reasonable price.

One of the best things we did in NZ. Our leader Conor was brilliant. Had so much interesting info on the marine wildlife & how the quakes shaped the landscape recently. Lovely way to spend a day in Kaikoura

Went out on the first trip of the day yesterday and would highly recommend the experience. Our guide, Tylar, was brilliant. Really friendly, informative and most importantly, I felt really safe with him! We paddled out to see some seals on the rocks and in the water, the seals swam under our kayaks, and then a little further out to sea where we saw swimming blue penguins. Really, really loved it.

10/10 would reccomend to family friends (and already have!) Would do it again in a heartbeat! Our guides were so awesome and full of knowledge! The dolphins and seals were so exciting to see! ❤️❤️

Awesome day out with the family . Excellent equipment and safety gear provided . Beautiful scenery and lots of seals to be seen .

The team are friendly, knowledgable and unpatronising. Nothing is rushed and you feel confident in the water. And then they take you to see seals, puffins and seabirds. The views are stunning and the wildlife close up is amazing. Thanks to you all.

That was my first kayaking experience and the guide made it easy. We paddled with dolphins jumping and following us from the start to the end. That was amazing ! Thank you guys for leading us in such a wonderful place.

The Cohen and Tyler were lovely and we felt very safe and comfortable in their hands! Weather wasn't amazing but still saw lots of seals and even some baby crayfish! Thanks team!

Brett was a great guide and was entertaining. Seals come right up next to you. If you're here then you need to try this. Heaps of time on the water.