Akaroa Harbor Swim With Dolphins

Day Trip, Group Tour
Offer Image
Akaroa Harbour is the only place on the planet where you can swim in the wild with Hector's dolphins, the world's smallest and rarest dolphin. Get up close and personal with these friendly cute dolphins for a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Akaroa Harbor Swim with Dolphins

On this adventure you will embark on a search for dolphins in the sheltered waters of the harbor, although at times the dolphins may be further out towards the opening of the harbor. Along the way your skipper will point out areas of interest and the fascinating facts and history of the area. Once the dolphins have been located, you will be asked to jump in the ocean with these very friendly and curious creatures. These dolphins love interacting with people and can spend up to 45 minutes swimming around you. If you are lucky and they are feeling frisky they may even show you their acrobatics skills! This is their world and it is a privilege to get the chance to see them so close. You are therefore asked not to touch them, as this may harm them.

Hector's dolphins usually swim in pods of around 6 to 10, and with only 12 swimmers allowed in the water at one time, you will have plenty of one-on-one interaction with them. While it is not guaranteed you will get to swim with them, the success rate is around 80%.

After your swim, complimentary hot chocolate will be offered. Photo packages are available for purchase as a fabulous way to keep the memory alive and brag to family and friends.

Guests will be viewing or swimming with dolphins in the wild, entering their natural habitat completely on their terms. As dolphins are wild animals, sightings cannot be guaranteed on every single trip. Sometimes dolphins may have calves with them or are feeding, mating, or just resting. It's important for humans not to interact with dolphins when they don't want to. However, the success rate is high, and guests are invited to come on another trip in the unlikely event that dolphins are not spotted on their cruise. Book now for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim with dolphins on your trip to New Zealand!

See our FAQ for more information

Starting At
 
Tour Type
Group
 
Group Size
Small
 
Activity Type(s)
Scenic, Cultural, Historical
 
Tour Duration
3 Hours
 
Activity Level
Moderate
 
Tour Leaves From
The Tender Pier Area.
 
Food/Beverage Provided
A hot drink is included.
 
Special Instructions
We recommend guests wear their swimsuit under comfortable clothing and sensible rubber-soled shoes. Guests should bring a towel, a light jacket, sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
 
Restrictions
The minimum age to participate is 8 years old. All participants must be able to swim, as they will be floating in the water and will be required to swim to and from the boat, covering distances of up to 150 feet at a time. The water will be over participants' heads at times, and a degree of confidence in swimming is required, as well as a basic level of fitness. Guests must declare any pre-existing medical conditions which may limit their participation. Those with heart conditions, respiratory issues, asthma, mobility issues, and those who are pregnant may not participate. This tour is not wheelchair accessible. All guests will be required to sign a liability waiver.
Interests
  • Safari, Animals, and Wildlife
Location Overview
Akaroa
About Shore Excursions Group
Shore Excursions Group logo

About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.

Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.

Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.

Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.

Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.

Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.

In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.

High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.

Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.

Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.

Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.

Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.

Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.

Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.

Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.

Read More

About Shore Excursions Group

About Us
Shore Excursions Group is the market leading and world's largest shore excursion company. Since 2008, we've provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4,000 tours in over 300 ports. Over the last 16 years, we've delivered more than 4.6M excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 47k reviews.

Exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people. Our incredible team of cruise and travel experts has more than 100 years of combined industry experience, and we work in close collaboration with a network of exceptional tour operator partners dedicated to providing personalized and immersive excursions to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world.

Our excursions are higher quality, lower priced, and travel in smaller groups averaging just 12 guests per departure, allowing our guests to truly connect with the local culture and enjoy a more enriching travel experience. Our website provides a personalized shopping experience highlighting the top-rated and most popular excursions in each port of call with authentic photos, videos, and reviews from other guests.

Our proprietary itinerary search technology makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for your ship's scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call. We also feature hand-curated multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.

Our Unique Approach
While the cruise lines and other companies also offer excursions, we are the experts and our experience and approach set us apart. Our exceptional excursions travel in smaller groups and visit more interesting and authentic locations, using more personalized tour guides.

Our team uses a comprehensive approach to select the leading guides and best tour providers around the world. Every excursion is carefully curated and closely monitored through quality control and customer feedback.

In today's fast paced world, vacations are an important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and discover new and interesting places - and our portfolio of the highest quality tours was created to provide authentic and rewarding travel experiences on your next trip.

High quality service is very important to travelers and leads to better experiences with higher satisfaction. We encourage you to call us, so our experts can answer your questions and help you select the best excursions for your cruise.

Our Exceptional Tours
Our priority is providing cruise guests with exciting and enriching tours with personalized service and smaller groups.

Our small group tours range from 2-12 people - far less than other tour companies with larger tours up to 50 people. We also offer outstanding private excursions - exclusive experiences for only you and your group with options to fully customize your tour.

Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean.

Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece.

Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France.

Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.

Our Guarantee
We stand by our excursions, and we're committed to meeting your expectations. Our team and our guides are dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences, which we've achieved consistently over many years and millions of tours. To the extent you are in any way dissatisfied with the experience we deliver, we will work to resolve your concerns - up to and including a full refund of your tour price. For more information visit the Shore Excursions Group website.

Read More

Prices are per-person based on double occupancy, unless otherwise noted.