Frequently Asked Questions

*Get 20% off the adult Seal Swim rate with Seal Swim Kaikōura when you book at https://obl.rtbslive.com/obl2/sealswimkaikoura/availability/2bc8deq4gx and use the promo code 'Flybuys' ("Offer"). Offer available for tours until 31 March 2021 (excluding 25 December). Offer subject to availability and not available in conjunction with any other offer or for commercial use. Seal Swim Kaikōura's standard cancellation policy applies and is available here https://www.sealswimkaikoura.co.nz/FAQ/.

Tours depart from our shop located in the main street of Kaikoura. At check in you will be introduced to your guides and the other swimmers on your tour. You will also be provided with warm, buoyant wet suits and snorkeling equipment.

From our base you will be taken on a short bus trip before a 5 to 15 minute boat trip to one of our favorite seal swimming areas. Along the way you will be given a briefing on New Zealand Fur Seals, aspects of snorkeling, seal swimming etiquette and safety. One to two experienced guides, equipped with large float boards will then accompany each group in the water.  

From here every tour is different as the seals are totally wild. Due to the seals natural curiosity swimmers can reasonably expect to get some interactions at around 3m distance at different times. As we ware dealing with wildlife in their natural habitat levels of activity do vary but if you do not get to see any seals in the water then you will be refunded back to the spectator rate of $55 and $35 for children, or offered a second tour free of charge if there is availability. 

Generally around one hour is spent in the water before returning back to base for hot showers. Allow 2.5 hours.

If you would like to cancel or reschedule your tour, 24-hour notice is required to ensure a full refund. Rescheduling is purely subject to availability. If you would like to cancel within 24 hours please call us as soon as possible as if we are able to resell your places no fees will apply.

If tours are canceled due to unsuitable conditions on the day a full refund will apply.

The refund of bookings made through the 'Book Now' button on our website will be made diretly back to the credit card that you used to make your booking. You will receive an email advising that the full refund has been processed back to your card. The email will be sent to the same email address that you used to make the booking. Refunds are usually recived within a few day however they can take up to seven working days depending on which bank you use. If you are concerned about a refund please email us at book@sealswimkaikoura.co.nz.

If you do not get to see any seals in the water you will be given the choice of a second tour free of charge or a discount 50% of the standard tour cost.

You can purchase a gift voucher buy clicking here they are valid fro two years and fully refundable if not used. To redeam a gift voucher click here. If you have any issues please email us at book@sealswimkaikoura.co.nz.

Kaikōura is Platinum Certified under the Earthcheck Sustainable Community.  EarthCheck is the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for the travel and tourism industry.  It encourages sustainable travel and tourism. Kaikōura has been a member of EarthCheck for 13 years and is Platinum certified. Kaikōura was one of the first in the world to be EarthCheck certified and the only destination in New Zealand to be so. In order to become/retain certification, every year Kaikōura District Council (the destination authority a.k.a we collect the data on behalf of Kaikōura) must collect data and report our findings on 11 indicators to EarthCheck to remain certified.

Seal Swim Kaikouras Enviro Policy:

You can book and pay online now by clicking on the this link or by using the 'Book Now' button on the home page of our wesite. Alternatively you can email us on book@sealswimkaikoura.co.nz or call us on 0800 732 579 or +643319612 if you are calling from a foreign country/mobile. Please be aware of the time differences if calling from a foreign country.

Tours run for around 2 to 2.5 hours.

***Please note that this season we are only taking confirmed bookings for tours departing on or after the 1st of November forward***

Tours operate from October or November until April or May subject to conditions. We do not operate in the winter months between Mid May and late September. In the winter seal swimming becomes very inconsistent, has a very high cancellation rate and rarely delivers the experience that our advertising suggests. With the temperature being cooler the seals spend much less time in the water within the colonies where we swim. There are also more storms that lead to tour cancellation and poor water visibility. This results in a very small chance of getting seals interacting with swimmers in the water. For these reasons we choose not to operate in winter. 

In most conditions you do not have to be a strong swimmer/snorkeller to swim with the seals. We have guides in the water with big float boards and the wetsuits that we give you are like life jackets so you can’t sink! Every now and then we do get more difficult conditions in which case we would restrict the tour to those with previous snorkeling experience. If you happen to be on one of those tours then we will allow you to cancel free of charge.

As with any interactive nature activity that is conducted in a natural ocean-based environent there is always elements of risk involved. The seals are completely wild and are capablie of inflicting serious bites. To put your mind at ease Seal Swim Kaikoura has been operating since1987 and during that time there has only ever been a few small bits/nips, none of which were serious. We have many processes and procedures in place to help ensure that you enjoy a safe and enjoyable tour however there are risks and you will be required to sign a Medical and Liability Disclaimer before participating. Feel free to email us if you have any concerns.

We have been operating since 1987 and we have not seen any sharks nor have we seen any evidence of their preditation in the colonies. However, it is the open ocean and we can never exclude the possibility of encountering a shark one day. 

We will supply you with 5mm dive suits, a hood, fins and mask & snorkel. We also provide hot showers, changing facilities and safe storage.

Obvously we can cannot garantee that we have suits to fit absolutly everybody, however we do have a very large range of suit sizes right up to a XXXXL. So far everyone has been able to fit into one of our suits. If you are concerned you are able to come and meet us before the tour to try a suit on for size. If you cannot fit into one of our suits you will be able to cancel free of charge.

You will need to bring a swimsuit (underwear will do if you don't mind it getting wet), towel and warm clothing to put on after the tour. 

 We are conveniently located right in the main street of Kaikoura at 58 West End, Kaikoura.

We advise you to allow 2.5 hours to drive from Christchurch to Kaikoura or from Picton to Kaikoura, 4 hours from Nelson to Kaikoura or 2 hours from Blenheim to Kaikoura.

 We are located one minute walk from the Kaikoura Information Centre and the bus/shuttle stops for buses/shuttles arriving to and departing from Christchurch, Picton and Blenheim. We are also only a 5 minute walk from the Kaikoura train station.

We do not have a strict age limit for children. Instead it is up to our head guide/skipper on the day to decide what age/ability level is suitable for the given conditions. In general we cannot take children of five years or under. If the tour is unsuitable for your child/children on the day then a full refund will apply.

It is important when talking to your children about the tour that you explain to them that it is dependent on suitable conditions right from the start. Children booked on the swimming tour will need to be accompanied by an adult that is capable of staying with the child and insuring there safety for the duration on the tour. 

People are encouraged to meet at our office and suit up area at 58 West End, Kaikoura (located in Kaikoura's main street) 15 minutes before tour time. By prior arrangement we can 'sometimes' pick up and drop off at your motel or backpackers.