Witnessing dusky dolphins entertain us in their natural habitat in Kaikoura while on a whale watching cruise was anything but a consolation prize. It was the show winner! Granted we didn’t see any whales in the wild, but that in no way took away from the joy of experiencing one of the most fun, social, and beautiful creatures on this planet – the dusky dolphins.

Dusky Dolphins In Their Natural Habitat

After numerous failed attempts to spot a whale on a cold and windy morning, our boat decided to take us to a spot where they knew that dusky dolphins had just been spotted. Once we reached the spot we waited to spot the dolphins. We were patient as we had been through the ride. Then suddenly, one dolphin appeared from under the boat, and then another.

Soon, our boat was surrounded by dolphins! Our boat captain for some reason decided to start moving but the dolphins followed us. No matter what speed, they could keep up with our boat. They kept jumping from the water, laughing and talking as they did. At this point our boat was surrounded from all sides with dolphins entertaining us. I looked up and there were dolphins far away in the horizon who were jumping out of the water. It was as if the dolphins had spread the word! We couldn’t get enough of how social and fun they were. They just wanted to hang out with us and show us their tricks.

Photos of Dusky Dolphins

This encounter with the dusky dolphins was definitely the most incredibly adorable sight of our whole trip to New Zealand!