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All 24 Akaroa Attractions »

Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises

Main Wharf, Akaroa 8841, New Zealand
643 304 7641
Website
Black Cat boat
dolphin
dolphin
dolphins
17 visitor photos
Ranked #5 of 17 tours in Akaroa
4.5 of 5 stars 42 Reviews
Type: Tours
Owner description: There is only one place on the planet where you can swim with the world's smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector's Dolphin - and that is the...... more » Owner description: There is only one place on the planet where you can swim with the world's smallest and rarest dolphin - the Hector's Dolphin - and that is the beautiful sheltered setting of Akaroa Harbour. Black Cat Cruises has been operating on the harbour since 1985 and has won the supreme tourism award and the Qualmark enviro-gold award for its commitment to the environment. We have 4 purpose built vessels for swimming all designed for safety and comfort and there is a generous refund policy if by some chance you do not get the experience you hope for. All you need to to is bring your sense of adventure along with a towel and swimming costume; we provide the wetsuit, snorkel, mask, hot chocolate and hot shower. If you don't feel like getting wet you can also watch from the boat. « less
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42 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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Date Rating
Sydney, Australia
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Very flexible and accommodating”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 25, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I booked the first swim tour of the day on the internet prior to boarding our cruise ship. What I didnt realise was that people who booked their tours through the cruise tour desk had priority on the tender boats to shore , also how long it took to get to shore. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we... More

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See 2 more reviews by DiBecker for Akaroa
pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 29, 2012

Thanks very much for your feedback and complimenting the team on their flexibility, I'm glad we were able to help out and you enjoyed your swim and beautiful day in Akaroa township. More

Manila, Philippines
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
“I swam with the world's rarest and smallest dolphins”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is my third time to swim with wild dolphins, but this is the only time I swam with rare Hector dolphins. They are sooo small .. and different looking with their dorsal fins looking like Mickey Mouse ears :) I really liked the staff at Black Cat Cruises, everyone we encountered were nice and helpful. When you check in,... More

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pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 26, 2012

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for outlining your swim experience. We have had some amazing swims lately with the dolphins being very interactive. Whilst we no longer encourage pebbles it is true that the dolphins seem to like different noises underwater, including singing and bubble blowing and the like. Thanks again for your review. More

Annapolis, Maryland
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Cute dolphins”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 21, 2012

This was the one activity in NZ planned by our travel companions rather than by us. They chose Akaroa rather than Kaikoura for a dolphin swim because the boat/group going out was smaller. I'm not sure any of us realized that Hector's dolphins, the ones you go to Akaroa to see, are very small (about 1.5 meters), endangered, and don't... More

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pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 22, 2012

Thanks for posting your thoughts. Yes 'floating with dolphins' might be a more accurate description sometimes, although we do find each swim is totally unique from the one before. Depending on the visibility of the water the crew will often encourage an eye to eye experience above the water rather than below as on your trip. Whilst you can sometimes... More

Chicago
1 review
“Must-do on your trip to NZ”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 19, 2012

Swimming with the smallest dolphins on the planet was one thing I was determined to check off my must-do list while in NZ. Black Cat made the experience really amazing by having charming and enthusiastic staff who provided all we needed from a wet suit and fins, to a towel afterward and even a cup of hot cocoa at the... More

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pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 22, 2012

Thanks for the feedback on your trip. I have to say that we normally do have a photographer on all our swim trips trying to get that perfect shot so I will see what happened your day, maybe some camera issue? Anyway glad you have had a great time out with the dolphins and thanks for your feedback. More

Atlanta, Ga
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“So Much Fun!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 18, 2012

We had a fantastic time swimming with the dolphins. I was worried that I was going to freeze as it was Autumn and the water was quite cold. The wetsuit kept me warm (after a couple minutes in the water at least). We got to swim with two different pods of dolphins, one of which was really playful. The Captain... More

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See 4 more reviews by HerschelWalkerGirl for Akaroa
pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 22, 2012

we are really glad you had fun with us and the dolphins. You are correct the dolphins are 100% wild and free which is what makes it so special when they come to swim with us humans! And also good to hear that the wetsuits worked their magic and kept you warm; its always a bit chilly to start off... More

Essex
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“Best thing ever”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 1, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This was an amazing experience. I have been in NZ for year and a half and this so far has been the best thing I have done. The staff were amazing and the scenery is to die for! We saw several pods of dolphins which was great for photos, we also saw a penguin! Bonus! the swim was amazing, the... More

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pajoChristchurch, Manager at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 5, 2012

Great pictures, looks like you picked the perfect day to get amongst the world's smallest dolphins. Really glad you had a good one. Thanks for posting your thoughts and images. More

2 reviews
“Breath taking scenery & wildlife, a must do for all visitors to akaroa.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 31, 2012

Great trip with friendly & knowledgeable staff, who were happy to talk to everyone. The dolphins were plentyful & we even saw a penguin. More

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pajoChristchurch, Manager at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 5, 2012

Thanks for this and really pleased to hear you had a great trip out on the harbour with us. More

hokitika
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Totally awesome experience, much more thrilling than I imagined.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 26, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Very professional. Departs from Akaroa and cruise out to the heads, out to sea a short way. I didnt anticipate how much fun it would be just looking for the Hector dolphins, some would appear and then swim off. Before too long there were 3 0r 4 who were keen to check us out. We got in the water and... More

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pajoChristchurch, Manager at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
April 5, 2012

Thanks for your thoughts and really glad you got to meet Hector close up. They are endangered and we are actively lobbying the minister in charge (who is a local MP) for greater protection. Also great we exceeded your expectations and thanks again for taking time out to review us. More

London, United Kingdom
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“One of the most amazing days”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 23, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We had a great teip with Black Cat Cruises. They were really professional but it was all very relaxed. The guys who took us out (Rhys and another guy....sorry cant remember his name) were really good and knew a lot about the dolphins. We were really lucky and git to swim with quite a few dolphins. The whole experience was... More

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pajoChristchurch, Manager at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
March 29, 2012

Thanks very much for writing your review on tripadvisor and especially for highlighting your crew members as a key part of your experience with us. We're always trying to provide a world class trip and whilst its the dolphins that are the real stars, the people can make a huge difference! thanks for the recommendation too! More

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“FANTASTIC”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 19, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

My Husband and I were lucky enough to swim with the most beautiful Hector's Dolphins while on our honeymoon in Akaroa, It was a totally breath taking experience, one not to be missed by anyone! I am also very pregnant and it was still worth every minute, the staff at black cat cruises are worth their weight in gold and... More

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pajoChristchurch, Owner at Swim with Dolphins Akaroa - Black Cat Cruises, responded to this review
March 8, 2012

Thanks very much for your thoughts and really appreciate you taking the time to share them. More

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