Frequently Asked Questions

'TERMS AND CONDITIONS' and 'IMPORTANT INFORMATION'

We are excited to welcome guests again after a post covid Hiatus. If you have enjoyed our swims in the past you may notice a few changes. We will be operating from a new location and we are looking forward to updating you about this soon! Some aspects of our operation will be different from that previously advertised. We have restricted our pre bookings to children 12 years and over and have restricted spectator spaces to standby only.    

PAYMENT: While we are waiting for our online payment gateway to be re-established we will not be taking online payments for our pre bookings. When you click 'Make payment' your booking will be confirmed in our system. We may send you a payment link some time prior to your tour or simply take payment on the day. We will keep you updated.

WARNING: It is risky to travel long distances specifically for our tour as tours may be cancelled. Please see below.

SEA CONDITIONS/ WEATHER / SEAL ACTIVITY /STAFF: Naturally this tour is dependent on suitable weather and sea conditions. However our tours are also dependent on suitable seal activity in the colonies. On rare occasions the sea conditions can appear suitable but the tour may be cancelled due to limited seal activity. Some times our activity may be cancelled despite other marine activities going ahead. If you are confused about why your tour is cancelled please talk to us directly. It is risky to travel long distances specifically for the tour as you may be disappointed if the tours are cancelled at late notice.
In all cases a full refund will apply.

MEETING POINT: Our meeting location for the 2025/2026 is yet to be confirmed. We look forward to updating you on this soon.

TOUR RESTRICTIONS
-You need to have a good level of fitness and be able to swim and snorkel to do this tour. (Life jackets are not provided for swimming in the water)
-You need to be able to speak and understand English 
-You need to be 12 years or older to participate
-You need to be able to fit into our wetsuits well
-You need to have good health and cardiovascular fitness to cope with the cold water and possible exertion

Also, given the range of sea and weather conditions Kaikoura can experience, our guides retain the right to raise the age limit or swimming ability level of swimmers booked on a tour at any time. If one or more people from your group are not allowed to participate on a tour due to either of the above reasons they will be allowed to cancel without fee when the decision is made. We will also allow other members of the group to cancel free of charge as well. Tour restriction information can be updated at anytime.

RISK DISCLOSURE: As with any interactive activity conducted in a natural ocean environment there is always an element of risk involved. In addition to the general risks associated with open ocean environments, the seals are wild and are capable of inflicting bites that could cause serious injury or disease. To put your mind at ease Seal Swim Kaikoura has been operating since 1987 with only a few minor nips/bites none of which resulted in serious injury or infection (antibiotics were required to be taken). Despite this we cannot discount the possibility of a seal injuring a swimmer more seriously in the future. Tours are also conducted in a cold-water environment and although wetsuits are provided there is a risk of the cold temperatures, exertion, discomfort, sea sickness or stress aggravating know or unknown medical conditions. Risks also include natural hazards like fire, tsunamis and earthquakes. You will be required to sign a risk disclosure form on arrival; risk disclosures can be updated at any time. If you are uncomfortable with the risk disclosure a full refund will apply.

KEEP US UP TO DATE WITH YOUR NEW ZEALAND CONTACT DETAILS: If you have booked in advance please keep us updated with your New Zealand contact details. In the past we have been unable to contact guests as they have been using a different email address/phone number than they used to make the booking. You can check the details you have provided us by looking in the top section of this ticket.

CALL THE DAY BEFORE TO VERIFY CHECK IN TIMES AND CONDITIONS:
Our tours are operated on a precise schedule and reporting on time is essential. Tour and check-in times can vary so it is essential that you call the day before your tour to verify your check-in time and other details. Sometimes you may be required to call again on the morning of the tour. In general, your check-in time will be 15 mins prior to your tour departure. Failure to report by your scheduled check-in time can result in your booking being cancelled. If for some reason you cannot make the check in time or call us the day before your reservation, please advise our office to prevent cancellation of your booking.

CANCELATION POLICY: If you need to change or cancel your reservation, at least 24 hours' notice is required to insure a full refund. If you need to change or cancel your tour within 24 hours, please call us immediately as no charges will apply if we are able to resell your seats. Tours are dependent on suitable sea/weather conditions and seal activity. If we cancel your tour for any reason a full refund will apply.



WHAT TO BRING: Please bring a bathing suit to wear under the wetsuit that we provide. Please also bring a towel and some warm clothing for after the tour. You will also need to bring any medication it is important to have with you including inhalers and or Epi pens for example.



BOOKINGS MADE FOR EARLY DECEMBER AND LATE APRIL: Please note that
conditions can be very changeable at these times of the year and we generally have a higher rate of cancellation than at other times. On occasion conditions have dictated that we end our season earlier than anticipated and/or cannot start our season until later than we anticipated.

At check in you will be introduced to your guides and the other swimmers on your tour. You will also be provided with thick, buoyant wet suits and snorkeling equipment.

From our base you will be taken on a short 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. 

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 50% of the retail rate 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 [email protected].

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.

LINKS CURRENTLY UNAVAILIABLE - DUE TO BE UPDATED SOON

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected] 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 we are currently only taking confirmed bookings for tours departing on or after the 1st of December forward***

Tours operate from October or November until April  subject to conditions. We do not operate in the winter months between 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. 

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. 

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 located in the beautiful costal town of Kaikoura in the South Island of New Zealand.

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.