Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura

08/06/2026

🌊 Happy World Oceans Day 🌊

What better way to celebrate than by kicking off our new 'Meet The Pod' series!

Over the next few months, we’ll be introducing you to the team behind Encounter Kaikoura and the amazing people who help make our tours the success they are.

First up… meet Faye 👋

Faye is one of our Marine Guides and our Education Officer, bringing together her love of marine life and education both on and off the water.

At Encounter Kaikoura, we love being able to give back to our community through education, outreach and sharing our passion for the ocean.

Join us at the Kaikoura Whale Festival hosted by KORI on 21st June, where Faye will be running ocean-inspired arts & crafts for our little ocean explorers 🎨🌊

Have you met Faye out on the water? Give her some love in the comments ⬇️

03/06/2026

Ever wondered whether it’s worth visiting in winter? ❄️

This trip is from 2023, our first time in the breathtaking Kaikōura...

31/05/2026

❄️ Winter is officially here! ❄️

As we move into our winter season, we've put together some of our most frequently asked questions about visiting Dolphin Encounter at this time of year.

From winter swims and wildlife encounters to what to wear and what happens if the weather doesn't cooperate, you'll find it all in our Winter FAQs.

Swipe through to learn more ➡️

Got a question we haven't answered? Let us know in the comments below ⬇️

📷 Amazing cover image taken by Dennis Buurman

31/05/2026

Great to welcome the Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute - KORI Young Marine Biologists programme aboard to learn more about the dolphins that frequent the Kaikōura coastline 🐬 🩵

10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day from the ocean 💙🩵💙

Did you know orca pods are led by female matriarchs? Young orcas can spend years alongside their mothers, learning important survival skills such as hunting and communication.

Female orcas have a long gestation period of up to 18 months and typically only give birth every five years, reflecting the huge investment made into raising each calf. Females are also known to live much longer than males, with some reaching 80 to 90 years old.

📷 Photographed on one of our tours this summer under New Zealand marine mammal viewing regulations

08/05/2026

POV: your life occasionally feels like a David Attenborough documentary 🐬

100 photos from our tours to celebrate 100 years of Sir David Attenborough.

“No one will protect what they don’t care about and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” - Sir David Attenborough

Every day out here reminds us just how important it is to help people connect with the ocean and the wildlife that call it home.

Want to honour Sir David’s 100th birthday today?

🌊 swap out single use plastics for alternatives
🐬 Choose ethical wildlife experiences
🖥 Watch a nature documentary
🌍 Spend time outdoors
💙 Share your favourite moment from one of our tours in the comments

Happy 100th birthday Sir David Attenborough.

23/04/2026

Make sure you go check this out if you are in town! Some stunning art and photography 🩵

20/04/2026

Operations update:

⛔️ our operating base is now closed until tomorrow due to the extended power outage

🌊all tours for 20th & 21st are cancelled due to adverse conditions and our team will be in touch further about rescheduling or refunds tomorrow subject to power being restored

🛜 we currently don’t have power and only have limited cellphone internet so there will be a considerable delay in response times to messenger and email

☎️ our phones are currently down with the outage and will only be manned again from tomorrow morning

Huge thanks to the guys at Main Power for their work to restore service 👍

We plan to reopen as normal tomorrow subject to power being restored 🙂

COMMUNITY UPDATE:

DISTRICT WIDE POWER OUTAGE:

We currently have a district wide power outage.

MainPower have identified the issue and aim to have power restored by 3pm today.

CONSERVING WATER:

It is important that people conserve water at this time.

Do not flush the toilet if possible as the pump stations all need power to operate.

INNOVATIVE WASTE KAIKŌURA CLOSED:

Due to this power outage and weather conditions, Innovative Waste Kaikōura will close today until further notice.

ROADING:

Downer are monitoring the roads for slips and any flooding.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & WEATHER:

The Emergency Management Team at Kaikōura District Council is working closely with Environment Canterbury monitoring our rivers and streams during this event.

Please be wary when driving and check in for updates.

02/04/2026

Home sweet home 💕

23/10/2025

🙌

Peaceful start in Kaikōura this morning — hard to believe the chaos we’ve had this week.