Kaikoura in Lonely Planet's top thrills
10 Feb 2010
Swimming with dolphins at Kaikoura - off New Zealand’s rugged South Island coast - has been ranked amongst the top 10 most thrilling experiences in the world, by Lonely Planet.
The popular tourist activity run by local company Dolphin Encounter makes the top 10 list in the Travel Guide Lonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Experiences book.
The experience shares the limelight with other activities like river rafting down the Zambezi, running with the bulls at Pamplona in Spain, swimming with sharks in South Africa, ‘edge of space’ flights in Russia, parasailing in Mexico, rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley, USA and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Thrill-seeking experiences
Lonely Planet’s book of top thrill-seeking experiences says swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura is "guaranteed to quicken the pulse" of anyone lucky enough to get near the "graceful and playful creatures with undeniable intelligence and exuberant personalities".
"They get frisky and acrobatic only if they feel like it, so a new trend has taken root: swimmers sing not only to attract dolphins, but also to get them in the mood. Apparently Elvis tunes do the trick nicely," says the Lonely Planet guide.
The Kaikoura experience allows people to swim with wild dusky dolphins in their natural environment or watch the mammals’ acrobatic displays from the boat.
Marine life
The area is famous for marine life and dolphin pod sizes range from 10 up to 1500 along the Kaikoura coastline so the chances of encountering them on each trip are extremely high.
The company says that because dusky dolphins inhabit the coastal waters of Kaikoura all year round it makes the area a unique place in the world to encounter wild dolphins every day - weather permitting.
Interaction with the dolphins is dictated by the mood of the mammals but Dolphin Encounter says it regularly experiences situations where the dolphins prefer to stay and play with humans rather than be with their own kind.
Dolphin Encounter was set up in 1989 and has become another Kaikoura coast success story - starting with an idea by two local brothers and developing into an internationally recognised company leading the way in eco-toursim.
Background: Dolphins in New Zealand
New Zealand waters are home to 13 different species of dolphins.
New Zealand dolphins
New Zealand has a number of dolphin stories including tales of friendly individuals who’ve set up home in various ports of call.
New Zealand dolphin tales
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