Dolphin Watch Ecotours

Our skipper Paul and guide Jack really made this a great trip.
With their expertise, we found a pod of Dusky Dolphins quite quickly, and got some great info about them while watching their hunting and frolicking in the sea.
When it was time to go into the water, we were well prepared about what to expect, and how to attract the dolphins (by singing!).
The result was certainly a once-​in a lifetime experience, with quite a few dolphins coming within arms-​length, and both man and dolphin obviously enjoying their time spent together.
Compared to the dolphin swim experience at Kaikoura, Picton is certainly the lesser known, but because of that less crowded, much more personal.
You also get the distinct feeling that with this tour, people really care for the animals, making sure not to disturb them, and to only send tourists into the water when the dolphins would like it.

It doesn’t get better than swimming with wild dolphins! Our trip with Dolphin Watch Ecotours was one of the highlights of our New Zealand vacation. We’d heard about dolphin swimming in NZ and had originally planned to take a trip out of Kaikoura, but after chatting with the people there, we realized our tendency to get seasick might ruin the experience (as it’s on the open ocean). Luckily, I randomly saw a brochure for this Picton business, and noted that since it’s in the sound, the waters are much calmer. I called the office to verify and the captain swore he’d «never had someone seasick on his boat». I was sold.
We had 11 people total on the boat and that seemed like good number, although apparently they sometimes take quite a few more. That included the skipper (who was great) and our nature guide, Kate, who was absolutely awesome. Then there were 7 of us swimmers and 2 viewers (those who didn’t want to get in the water).
There are 5 different species of dolphins in the Sound, which is pretty awesome, and you have a good chance of seeing several. On our trip we saw the Dusky dolphins as well as the common dolphin. Our first two times in the frigid water was with a small pod (just 5 or 6) Duskies. For whatever reason, they weren’t interested in us, so although we got in the water we didn’t end up swimming with them. The third time was the charm, however, and we ended up playing with a pod (30 – 40) of common dolphins. The commons are the biggest dolphin species, so it was actually more impressive anyway! I do have to admit that 3 times in and out of the water made for a very cold me, but Kate sprayed us down with hot water when we came out and made us hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate) so that was nice.
I really can’t describe how cool it is to swim with 100% wild dolphins, and if you’re lucky enough to be in NZ, then you shouldn’t pass up the experience.