Frequently Asked Questions

What are your scheduled tour times?

• October and November: Tour times vary, to check tour times for these months please use the 'Book Now' button on our home page to search tour times and avalibility. Alturnatively, emial us direct. 
• Decmber, January, February and March: 9.30am, 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.00pm.
• April and May: Tour times vary

Tour times may vary slightly due to tidal conditions and weather so you need to call the day before your tour to reconfirm. If the above times are not suitable you may like to reqest other tour times as these can sometimes be arranged.

How long does the tour take? Tours run for around 2 to 2.5 hours.

Do you operate all year round? Tours operate from early October until 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.   

Do I need to be a strong swimmer? 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. 

Are the tours safe? As with any interactive nature activity there is always an element 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 for 21 years and during that time there has only ever been two small bites, neither of which were serious. Our worst injury to date was a twisted ankle. We have many processes and procedures in place to help ensure that you enjoy a safe and enjoyable tour. Feel free to email us if you have any

concerns.

Are there any sharks? We have been operating for 21 years and we have not seen any sharks nor have we seen any evidance of their preditation. However, it is the open ocean and we can never exclude the possibility of encountering a shark. 

What do you supply? We will supply you with 5mm dive suits, hoods, fins and goggles & snorkel. We also provide hot showers, changing facilities and safe storage.

What are the size ranges of your suits? 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.

What should I bring? 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. 

Do I need to book in advance? It is always best to make a reservation as occasionally we do fill up ahead of time. If you are travelling on a flexible itineratry the bookings are flexible and can be cancelled or rescheduled anytime up until 24 hours before the booking time. This will allow you to call us closer to the time and reschedule the booking if there is availability on a date that will suit you better. We do accept same day bookings if space allows, but to ensure your seal swim we advise advance bookings.

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

What are the drive times from Christchurch/Picton/Blenheim/Nelson? 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.

Are you close to the Train/Bus Station/Information Centre? We are located 1 minutes 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.

Can our children come with us? We do not have a strict age limit for children. Instead it is up to our head guide 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 as we do not have wetsuits to fit them. Babysitters can be arranged.

Can you pick us up?
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 pick up and drop off at your motel or backpackers. 

What if the tour is below standard?
If we feel that a tour was not of an acceptable standard due to lack of seal activity etc. a discount of up to 50% will be given.

How can I Pay?
Payment may be made by Cash, Visa, MasterCard or Cheque* (*New Zealand residents only)

Booking procedure:
Tours may be booked by contacting us directly, or through the Kaikoura Visitor Information Centre.