Dolphin Encounter takes you to swim with the dusky dolphins in their natural environment, or watch their acrobatic displays from the comfort of our boat. The pod sizes of the resident dusky dolphins range in the hundreds along the Kaikoura coastline and we have an impressive success rate in locating these marine mammals.
The Dolphins
Kaikoura's resident dolphin is the dusky dolphin. The dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) belongs to a group known collectively as cetaceans; this comprises all whales, dolphins and porpoises. The word cetacean is derived from the Latin cetus (a large sea animal) and the Greek ketos (sea monster).
There are currently 81 recognised species of cetacean; these comprise 11 species of baleen whales and 70 species of toothed whales, which includes all the dolphins and porpoises. The dolphin family, known as Delphinidae, is made up of 33 different members.
In New Zealand the dusky dolphin is commonly found along the east coast of the South Island. Dusky dolphins are also found in other temperate waters of the world, namely the east and west coasts of southern South America, especially Argentina, off the west coast of South Africa (in the cool waters of the Benguela Current) and around the oceanic islands of Tristan de Cunha and Amsterdam Islands.
In the Kaikoura region the dusky dolphin appears year round with a variation between summer and winter movements and habits. In the summer months of October to April the duskies will move in from offshore on a daily basis, to the inshore waters on the southern side of the Kaikoura Peninsula. During the winter months of May to September, the duskies are located further offshore and do not come in as close to shore as in summer.
Dusky dolphins are very gregarious and highly social, living together in groups called pods, which in the Kaikoura region can consist of individuals numbering anywhere from 100 to 800 in each pod. In autumn and winter, pod sizes can even be greater, sometimes numbering in the thousands. For this reason, Kaikoura is recognised as one of the best places in the world to regularly encounter wild dolphins in their natural environment.
Life span of the dusky dolphin is thought to be anywhere between 20 to 25 years. Maximum size is between 165cm and 195cm in New Zealand and they weigh anywhere between 60 to 90 kg in weight. The same species in South America are known to grow larger, with records of dolphins just over 2 metres in length.
Mating of dusky dolphins usually takes place during spring, summer and autumn, with not all mating being for reproductive purposes. A lot of mating is done purely as a means of socialising or maybe just for pure enjoyment. Dusky dolphins do not develop pair bonds and their mating habits could be viewed as promiscuous, with adult males competing for mating access to females. Males will pursue the female, each male often mating several times with the same female in a matter of minutes. In Kaikoura, new calves are born in the spring, anywhere from September to December after a gestation period of about 11 months.
The dusky dolphins are reputed to be amongst the most acrobatic of the dolphin species, and their spectacular leaps, jumps, side slaps and back flips, bring shouts of joy to most that go out to witness their wild and free behaviour. One of the most spectacular leaps performed by the duskies is its trademark somersault and the duskies will often repeat these acrobatic leaps time and again.
The question is often asked “Why do the dolphins jump?” Although we do not know for sure why the duskies display such exuberance we believe that this is simply a reflection of their personality.
When taking a tour with Dolphin Encounter® you must remember that these dolphins are in their natural environment and are not enticed to the boats by any artificial means. All tours are on the dolphin’s terms. Although the dusky dolphins may swim very close to the swimmers in the water, this is not a "Flipper" type experience. The dolphins are completely wild and this is not the dolphin touching opportunity many hope for.
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