Leisure Tours with Black Cat · Christchurch and Akaroa
A coach collects you from your Christchurch hotel, drives you over the hills to Akaroa, and puts you on Black Cat's swim boat, where you slide into the sea in a thick wetsuit and wait for Hector's dolphins to come to you. Pick it if you want to be in the water with them and don't have a car: it's the only listing that bundles the swim with transport.
Leisure Tours, a Christchurch coach company, runs the transport. Pickup is at 8:30 am, and the drive goes out via Governors Bay, Gebbies Pass, Lake Ellesmere, Lake Forsyth and Little River before climbing over the Hilltop and down to Akaroa. The swim itself is with Black Cat, the only operator licensed to put swimmers in the water with Hector's dolphins in Akaroa. After the boat comes free time in town for lunch at your own cost, a cheese tasting at Barrys Bay, and the drive back to your hotel. Nine hours in all.
On the water it works like this. The boat looks for a pod, and the dolphins decide whether to come close; you float at the surface in a 5 mm wetsuit and mask and keep your hands to yourself. Black Cat takes 12 swimmers per trip at most. You must be able to swim 50 metres unaided in open sea, there's no bottom to stand on, and life jackets and floats are not allowed. The water is cold: about 14 C in October and November, 16 to 19 C in late summer. The swim runs from 1 October to 30 April only.
Now the fine print, because this one has plenty. Swims are not guaranteed, and Black Cat gives no refund for an unsuccessful swim; if no dolphins are seen at all, you get a voucher for a later nature cruise, which helps little on a coach day trip. Rules protect the animals: no swimming with pods that include calves. The rating is 3.8 from 37 reviews, and the complaints are about getting in only once, or the coach part of the day. Cancel 6 or more days ahead for a full refund; 2 to 6 days gets you 50%. Black Cat sells the swim alone for NZ$250 per adult, roughly US$145, if you can drive yourself.
The coach heads south past Governors Bay, Gebbies Pass and Lake Ellesmere, with photo stops on the way.
Through Little River and over the Hilltop, then down the winding road into the old crater.
A briefing, then out on Black Cat's swim boat. When the crew finds a pod that's allowed to be swum with, you slide in and float.
Lunch at your own cost, the French street names and the waterfront.
A tasting at the cheese factory at the head of the harbour.
The coach returns you to Christchurch about nine hours after pickup.
★★★★★The guides were knowledgeable about the dolphins and took good care not to chase or harass them. We got to swim with the dolphins when the dolphins signaled they wanted to play. It was awesome!
★★★★★This trip was amazing! We saw many dolphins and one penguin. The dolphins got within a couple feet of us. This was definitely a highlight of our trip to New Zealand.
★★★★★Best of all was swimming with a pod of seven dolphins that were friendly and exuberant to the point of jumping out of the water!! We didn't want to leave and they hung around as long as we did. Well done Black Cat tours.
★★★★★Unfortunately due to weather I was unable to swim with the dolphins - instead was placed on the Akaroa harbour boat tour which was still amazing.
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No. Black Cat says plainly that swims are not guaranteed and gives no refund for an unsuccessful swim. If no dolphins are seen at all, you get a voucher for a later Akaroa nature cruise.
From 1 October to 30 April. Outside those dates you can still watch the dolphins from a nature cruise. Our swim guide covers the rules and the water temperature month by month.
About 14 C in spring and 16 to 19 C in late summer. The 5 mm wetsuit keeps most people comfortable for the swim, and guests say it also makes floating easy.
8 years. Children from 8 to 12 swim with an adult in the water, and 12 to 16 year olds need an adult on board. Everyone must swim 50 metres unaided.
Ready to book
Coach from Christchurch, a dolphin swim on Akaroa Harbour with wetsuit and snorkel, and cheese at Barrys Bay. October to April.
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