Encounter Kaikoura (Dolphin Encounter)

Swimming with the wild dolphins with a company that takes care to not harass dolphins who aren't interested in interacting was worth every penny. The wetsuit, boots, gloves, hood, snorkel, mask, and fins are included in the price and I'm so glad I spent the extra $65 to rent the GoPro. We swam with them twice for quite a while each time, and then got to enjoy taking photos from the deck with the dolphin watchers while drying off in the sun before heading back. Our guide was knowledgeable about the dolphins, and did a great job of making sure everyone was safe. I really appreciated that the captain was respectful of the animals we were visiting - and I was impressed at how smoothly he accelerated and slowed down (especially when swimmers were sat on the back, waiting to go to the second swim spot). We saw mostly dusky dolphins, but there were a few hectors dolphins as well. And a surprise cameo from a red cod towards the end of our second swim! The attached cafe is pretty good, and offers several tasty gluten-free options that I really appreciated. I had tea and a snack before the experience, and then had lunch there with some of my fellow passengers after.