Before you make a confirmed and secure booking, please read through the following list of terms and conditions. After reading, please contact us if you have any questions.

Bookings, Payments and Cancellations

• Bookings must be made either through our secure site, authorized booking agency or via phone or fax. Bookings must be secured by credit card and include the card number, name and expiration date in order to hold a booking. Payment will not be taken until you arrive at our office for your scheduled swimming tour or you fail to cancel without providing us with 24 hours notice. Cancellations due to illness without 24-hours notice are not sufficient cause for a refund. Please understand that we only take a small number of swimmers per trip due to permit regulations and that if you cancel without 24-hours notice for any reason, we have likely turned other people away wanting those swimming spaces.
• Like other operators around New Zealand, our tours are based on minimum numbers (4 persons) required to pay costs (ex. fuel & staff) involved. During the busy season (November-March), meeting the minimum numbers is rarely a problem due to the high demand for our Swimming With Dolphins Tour. However, if fewer than 4 persons would like to go and no others are booked on the tour, then we will still run the trip if the people wish to pay the difference needed to meet the minimum running costs. If the swimmers do not wish to pay the additional charge to have the boat to themselves, then the tour will be cancelled. Guests are advised to call 573-8040 the night before their scheduled tour departs to see whether minimums have been met.
• Guests are required to report at least 30 minutes before your tour departs and may even ring the office (573-8040 or 0800 WILDLIFE) the day before to check on the weather status for their trip. If you fail to report to your scheduled tour on time, your booking may be cancelled, your credit card charged the full amount and your swimming or viewing spot may be allocated to a standby passenger.
• All cancellations must be advised 24 hours prior to your scheduled tour departure time. If you fail to show up for your scheduled trip without properly cancelling (see above), then your credit card will be charged the full dolphin swimming price.
• Nearly all swim with dolphins tours operate in the sheltered waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound where wind and sea swell are unlikely.  However, this tour can be an open ocean experience and is therefore subject to weather conditions like wind and swell. Your safety is paramount to us and we will not place swimmers in the water if sea state conditions are deemed unsafe by the skipper. Trips may be cancelled at any time due to poor weather conditions that may develop. If a trip is cancelled before the scheduled departure time, then guests will receive a full refund of their fare. If a trip is cancelled after we view dolphins, but before swimming can occur, then your fare will be converted from Dolphin Swimming to Dolphin Viewing or you will be invited to go again with us (conditions apply) for free until you get the chance to swim with dolphins. If a trip is cancelled early due to unexpected weather issues, but you were able to get in the water and swim with dolphins, you will not receive a refund of your fare. If we don’t see any dolphins or whales during the trip, you will receive a 50% refund of your fare (this offer does not apply to minimum number situations).

Swimming with dolphins

• All tours depart with the intent to swim with dolphins. Swimmers should keep in mind that all dolphin swimming commercial operators in New Zealand are subject to a permit system administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC). DOC regulations are followed in a way that may mean that even though we come across a group of dolphins, we might not be allowed to swim with them (ex. if the group contains calves - baby dolphins). If this is the case, then we will continue our search for a suitable group to swim with. If swimming is not possible with any dolphin groups for permitting reasons, tour time on the water expires or for safety reasons (ex. sea conditions are deemed unsafe), but we are still able to view either dolphins or whales from the boat, then your fare will be converted from Dolphin Swimming to the reduced Dolphin Viewing rate or you will be invited to join us for free (conditions apply) until you get the opportunity to swim with the dolphins.
• This swimming with dolphins tour is strictly on the dolphins terms. We will cruise with a potential dolphin group and determine if swimming will be allowed based on the group composition and behaviour. Our goal is to provide you with the experience of a lifetime – up close and personal with wild dolphins. It should be noted that open water dolphin swimming is not like that of an aquarium type atmosphere. Although several dolphins generally seem quite interested in these odd looking visitors to the deep, these are wild animals that are in total control of the situation and may decide to simply pass you by. It’s an incredible experience just to be in the water with them and you shouldn’t be discouraged (or take it personally) if the dolphins are not interested in you. Please keep in mind that our job is to put you in the water with the dolphins, whether they interact with you in the water is their choice - refunds are not given if the dolphins do not interact with you once you get in the water.
• Dolphin Swimming Guarantee - If you aren't able to swim with dolphins, go again for free (conditions apply) or convert your fare to dolphin viewing!  Success rate (all year) for viewing dolphins is currently 98%!  Success rate (all year) for swimming with dolphins is currently 80%!  Please keep in mind that like all dolphin swimming tours in New Zealand, there is always the chance that you will not be able to get in the water with wild dolphins.
• Swimmers are not allowed to touch the dolphins in any way. Physical contact (touching or grabbing) with wild dolphins is not permitted under any New Zealand DOC permit.
• Children under 8 years of age are not permitted to swim with the dolphins. Children under 8 years of age may be allowed to ride along and view dolphins at the skipper’s discretion and with a supervising adult accompanying them on the boat at all times.

Seasickness

• Our tours normally operate in the very sheltered waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound and seasickness is rarely an issue. However, because this can be an open ocean experience at times venturing into Cook Strait, it is subject to a variety of sea conditions and sea sickness may be a problem for some of our guests. If you are prone to motion sickness, we advise that you take preventative measures before departing Picton. Be advised that seasickness during the tour is not grounds for a refund and we are not able to cancel the tour for the others if you become sick.

Experience required?

• Even though we normally operate in the calm sheltered waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound, some degree of swimming experience is required as the depth of the water is at least 40 metres. Although snorkelling experience is not required, you’ll be able to swim with more confidence if you have snorkelled before. Our wetsuits are extremely safe and bouyant and will keep you from sinking.