Seal Swim Kaikoura

Seal Swim Kaikoura

Seal Swim Kaikoura

54 Rankers Reviews

35 Face-to-Face

4 Marine Animals

12 Seal Watching

14 Kaikoura

Maps

Photos

Information

Seal Swim Kaikoura

Swim with wild New Zealand fur seals in the shallow bays of the beautiful Kaikoura Peninsula. This is an experience you do not want to miss! No experience necessary.

Seal Swim Kaikoura's base of operation is conveniently located right in the main street of Kaikoura. It is here that you will meet and be introduced to your guides and the other swimmers on the tour. You will be provided with warm, buoyant wet suits and snorkeling equipment before being transported to one of Seal Swim Kaikoura custom seal swimming boats.

Your skipper and guide will then accompany you on a very short boat trip, around the stunning Kaikoura Peninsula, to one of SSK's favorite seal swimming areas. This is a treat in itself. Before entering the water your guides will tell you all about New Zealand fur seals and 'seal swimming etiquette'.

Upon entering the water, time will be allowed for you to familiarize yourself with equipment and instruction will be given on aspects of snorkeling. One to two experienced guides, equipped with large floats will then accompany each group, of max 11 swimmersin the water. This is of great benefit to swimmers who are not so comfortable in the water. Guides are trained to help you and make you feel more comfortable. They've even been know to hold swimmers hands!

Every tour is different but generally 1 to 1 1/2 hours is spent in the water. Seal Swim Kaikoura has a 96% success rate of travellers swimming with 3 metres of seals in the water. If you do not get to swim with seals at close proximity a 50% refund applies.

Many people have told us that there seal swimming experience was one of the highlights of their travel here in New Zealand. For more information visit our website.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

Seal Swim Kaikoura

Commercial organisation

Location

South IslandKaikoura RegionKaikoura

Categories

  • Activity__marine_animalsMarine Animals
  • Activity__seal_watchingSeal Watching

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-42.401416

173.681467

Latitude
-42.401416
Longitude
173.681467

Reviews

    • Great fun and luckily had perfect weather.
    • Awesome experience!
    • Small group, very good tour guide.
    • It was a great experience !
    • This is a must do.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 30
    56%
    9/10 11
    20%
    8/10 12
    22%
    7/10 1
    2%
    6/10 0
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    5/10 0
    0%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
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    2/10 0
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    1/10 0
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  • 5.0/5

    I can't begin to describe how amazing this experience was.

    The guides were super friendly and informative, the equipment was great and swimming with the seals was one of the best experiences of my life. You can relax and float around while seals swim right up and interact with you. When you turn away from them they are so playful and interested that they follow. There are hundreds of seals on the rocks surrounding you and I even saw some seal pups. I had gone swimming with the dolphins the day prior and if I were to choose between the two this would be my pick. If you can bring an underwater camera I'd absolutely recommend it because you will want to relive this experience over and over again.

    Reviewed over 3 years ago

    Erica Muir's avatar

    Erica Muir

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Very impressed with every step of the experience!

    Reviewed almost 5 years ago

    Peter Leschev's avatar

    Peter Leschev

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    This is a must do.

    Such a surreal experience swimming up close and personal with so many beautiful seals. And what made it even better was it being a kiwi family run business, the hosts are fantastic; they're friendly, funny and educational. Loved this!

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

    Mietta Feery's avatar

    Mietta Feery

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    We came to Kaikoura specifically to do this seal swim and it was all that we had hoped for!

    I highly recommend that even though the road from Kaikoura to Picton is closed, you should still come to Kaikoura and explore the town. It is a quaint ocean town and well worth the visit. I highly recommend the Seal Swim encounter as well! I took my 11 yr old and 13 year old daughters and they won't ever forget this experience!

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    NEW ZEALAND
    Susie Dietz's avatar

    Susie Dietz

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Unbelievable experience.

    Baby seals are so cute! Big eyes!

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.5/5

    Very, very cool!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.0/5

    To swim with the seals with this company is really good.

    Professional and small groups (10 people).

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

    FRANCE
    Cecile Seramis's avatar

    Cecile Seramis

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Small groups and a very unique wildlife experience to have in Kaikoura!

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in November 2014

    UNITED STATES
    Amanda Williams's avatar

    Amanda Williams

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    I Washington on holiday With my friend looking for an ecofriendly activity and looking to swim with the seals .

    This company offered us a great experience and a better understanding of the wildlife

    We recommend it warmly and hope to go backbone day!

    Thanks guys

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in February 2014

    FRANCE
    Nica Georgiana 's avatar

    Nica Georgiana

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    I can't begin to describe how amazing this experience was.

    The guides were super friendly and informative, the equipment was great and swimming with the seals was one of the best experiences of my life. You can relax and float around while seals swim right up and interact with you. When you turn away from them they are so playful and interested that they follow. There are hundreds of seals on the rocks surrounding you and I even saw some seal pups. I had gone swimming with the dolphins the day prior and if I were to choose between the two this would be my pick. If you can bring an underwater camera I'd absolutely recommend it because you will want to relive this experience over and over again.

    Reviewed over 3 years ago

    Erica Muir's avatar

    Erica Muir

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Very impressed with every step of the experience!

    Reviewed almost 5 years ago

    Peter Leschev's avatar

    Peter Leschev

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    This is a must do.

    Such a surreal experience swimming up close and personal with so many beautiful seals. And what made it even better was it being a kiwi family run business, the hosts are fantastic; they're friendly, funny and educational. Loved this!

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

    Mietta Feery's avatar

    Mietta Feery

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    We came to Kaikoura specifically to do this seal swim and it was all that we had hoped for!

    I highly recommend that even though the road from Kaikoura to Picton is closed, you should still come to Kaikoura and explore the town. It is a quaint ocean town and well worth the visit. I highly recommend the Seal Swim encounter as well! I took my 11 yr old and 13 year old daughters and they won't ever forget this experience!

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    NEW ZEALAND
    Susie Dietz's avatar

    Susie Dietz

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    I Washington on holiday With my friend looking for an ecofriendly activity and looking to swim with the seals .

    This company offered us a great experience and a better understanding of the wildlife

    We recommend it warmly and hope to go backbone day!

    Thanks guys

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in February 2014

    FRANCE
    Nica Georgiana 's avatar

    Nica Georgiana

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Small groups and a very unique wildlife experience to have in Kaikoura!

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in November 2014

    UNITED STATES
    Amanda Williams's avatar

    Amanda Williams

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Unbelievable experience.

    Baby seals are so cute! Big eyes!

    Reviewed about 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.0/5

    To swim with the seals with this company is really good.

    Professional and small groups (10 people).

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

    FRANCE
    Cecile Seramis's avatar

    Cecile Seramis

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Very, very cool!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 5.0/5

    Absolutely incredible!

    You won't get any closer to wild seals in their native habitat! They are so cute!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago

    GERMANY
    Hannes Puediger's avatar

    Hannes Puediger

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    A professionally run tour business with the best for the animals in mind.

    Was a lot of fun. Visibility up to 3 or 4 metres.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in December 2015

    NETHERLANDS
    Virgil Spruit's avatar

    Virgil Spruit

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Great family run business - however seems to be slightly abrupt and unwelcoming on booking.

    Had a great day and swam with seals darting towards and around me.

    Was great to be in the water with them!

    Reviewed over 9 years ago and experienced in March 2015

    AUSTRALIA
    Emma's avatar

    Emma

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Perfect organisation, very professional, very friendly and helpful, funny.

    Unfortunately we saw the seals just for seconds and only one time but anyway, its nature and its ok. We had a nice trip.

    Reviewed over 9 years ago

    Manuela Opprecht's avatar

    Manuela Opprecht

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Awesome experience to swim right beside the seals.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

    GERMANY
    Robert Geissler's avatar

    Robert Geissler

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    It was a great experience !

    I never tought I could see seals from that close !

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    This is a not to be missed experience in Kaikoura my girlfriend and I were lucky enough to swim with both dolphins and seals in Kaikoura and the seals won hands down for us.

    The team at seal swim are friendly and relaxed but they are nothing compared to the seals, happy to hang in the water upside down staring inquisitively into your snorkel mask for hours, before playing hide and seek in and out of the rocks and kelp.

    This is not just about the seals it is a complete underwater experience into the marine life around Kaikoura.

    I hope you choose to take the trip and enjoy it as much as we did, good luck!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Ali Mitchell's avatar

    Ali Mitchell

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    A great experince seeing and swimming with seals in their natural environment.

    Superbly experienced guides; with natural ability to relate their passion about seals on to you;and to share their knowledge so you feel entirley comfortable through what can only be described as an awesome & delightfully unforgettbale experience.

    Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in December 2012

  • 5.0/5

    Best equipment and good guide.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

    SWITZERLAND
    Rolf Zwahlen's avatar

    Rolf Zwahlen

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Awesome experience!

    Saw lots of seals up close even bumped into a few times. Great guides and very playful seals.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    Ken's avatar

    Ken

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    A lot more fun than swimming with dolphins.

    If I would have to devicide between these two, I would choose this.

    Good organization, good spot, I would do this again.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago and experienced in February 2011

    GERMANY
    Mark's avatar

    Mark

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Very well organised but still relaxed atmosphere.

    The captain took an effort to bring us to a nice seal swim spot.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    BELGIUM
    joke's avatar

    joke

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Good day out, great people and just the right amount of time.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Veronica Warren's avatar

    Veronica Warren

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Great fun and luckily had perfect weather.

    Price also very reasonable, only recommendation is adding the potential choice of tour photos (especially underwater photos) with extra cost of course.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Michael Howat's avatar

    Michael Howat

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Excellent and friendly.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    FRANCE
    Nicolas's avatar

    Nicolas

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Excellent price.

    Great guys that are very helpful.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    NEW ZEALAND
    Tyson Burnett's avatar

    Tyson Burnett

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Grandios, exciting.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    GERMANY
    Seifert's avatar

    Seifert

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Small group, very good tour guide.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    GERMANY
    Christine Wirth's avatar

    Christine Wirth

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Wow! I just got back from this and feel compelled to share the experience.

    We had a 1:45 check in time, but they knew right way they were running a little behind and advised we return at 2:00. At 2:00 we came in on the conversation that the primary site was rough and had poor visibility and that they would like to change to a secondary site, but that would mean a 30 min delay. Since we had nothing else planned and wanted the best possible experience we opted for the wait.

    At 2:30 they got all 5 of us (myself, my wife, my twin 11 year old boys and my 6 year old daughter) suited up in thick wet suits, all of good quality, complete with hoods, good quality snorkels and masks, and fins. We jumped on a custom made bus clearly designed to haul sopping wet passengers.

    It was wise to wait for the second site. A short ride in a nice boat to the seal rookery and we were in the cold water, but quickly we warmed up in the wet suits, and there were seals around us within a minute. There were a total of about 12 people on the trip.

    We spent a full hour in the water and nearly all of the time was contact time with the seals. We were in their natural environment, in the ocean, but in an area with calm clear water. Around us we saw cormorants, albatrosses, and even little penguins. We'd actually had enough time in the water and got out on our own before they suggested we come back in.

    This is a family run business and they really do know their stuff. They clearly care about the seals and giving everyone a good experience. I think this is an opportunity, if you're in the area, that everyone should consider high on their list. The price is reasonable, and it's an opportunity that may not be here forever.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    efusco's avatar

    efusco

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Fantastic !!!!

    The Crew are all friendly informative and helpful. They are more interested in you enjoying the experience than the money. My trip was warm water most of the time. The seals came fast and friendly swimming around and playing with you. This is a real must do experience - worth every penny and more !!!! The equipment is good condition and quality and the warm shower at the end a welcome plus.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    stowie's avatar

    stowie

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    A good organization and a great experience even if we have suffered from the cold water.

    Reviewed over 14 years ago

    FRANCE
    Ulric's avatar

    Ulric

    Customer