Snorkelling & Diving
Nature & Wildlife
Family-friendly Tours
Cruises
Day Tours
A Full Day on the Water with Orca Wild Adventures
Orca Wild Adventures offers a full-day marine tour packed with highlights, ideal for families, groups, or solo travellers chasing a unique New Zealand experience. The day starts early with a warm welcome and safety briefing before heading out into the bay to search for dolphins. With experienced eyes scanning the horizon, sightings are common and the energy on board is always buzzing.
Once the dolphins are located and it’s safe to swim, you’ll slide into the water and float among one of nature’s most intelligent and curious animals. Later, the tour takes you to a secluded island where you can snorkel, sunbathe, or simply soak up the scenery with a sausage sizzle in hand. Whether you're after adventure or just a break from the everyday, Orca Wild’s dolphin tour hits all the right notes.
What to Bring
- A towel
- Warm clothing for after your swim
- Sunscreen
- Snack food
- A camera as well as a good fun attitude!
AGE INFORMATION
- Adult: 16 years +
- Children: 5-15 years
- Minimum Age: 5 years
CANCELLATION & REFUND
- 72 hours or more before departure: Full refund**
- Within 72 hours before departure: No refund
- We assess sea conditions daily and may cancel trips based on the weather.
- We will try to notify customers by text or email by 6.00pm the day before.
- Customers who have not received a confirmation or cancellation text should contact us before 8.00pm.
- If we cancel a trip, customers can choose to re-book for another date or request a refund**
Note: **Refund excludes credit card or payment fees if applicable, which are non-refundable.
Please see more information on refunds and cancellations in Go New Zealand's terms and conditions.*
Our tours are subject to a Department of Conservation (DOC) permit and we must comply with rules for all encounters with marine mammals. Customers must be aware that the dolphins are wild and that we are visiting them in their own environment. Passengers must comply with crew instructions during any encounters.
While we can’t guarantee a dolphin swim on every trip, most of our tours offer the opportunity to get in the water. However, there are two key reasons why swimming may not be possible:
- If sea conditions are too rough, we won’t allow swimmers in the water for safety reasons.
- We are not permitted to let swimmers enter the water with dolphin pods that have dependent juveniles, as required by our DOC permit.
For those who are not confident in open water, we don’t recommend attempting the swim, as the conditions can be challenging. However, dolphins can be easily viewed from the boat, and less confident swimmers can use our custom swim mats to observe them underwater.
Please Note: If your child is confident in the water, that's fine, but we don’t want any child in the water if they really don't want to be there. Child swimmers must be able to wear a mask and use a snorkel to see the dolphins. Remember, dolphins are very big and strong animals, and even many adults find them intimidating up close.
