A Day in the Life of A Dolphin Swim Guide in New Zealand

It’s not really a big surprise that people and travelers of all ages adore New Zealand thanks to the insane natural beauty and friendly nature of the people, but it’s particularly popular among those in their 20’s. This is probably thanks to the working holiday scheme that allows young folk under the age of 30 to obtain a work visa for one year (or two, if you’re a lucky member of the Commonwealth!). It provides you with the perfect chance to see a new country, travel slowly, meet cool people, and practice life-living in a different environment than you’re used to.

I vividly remember the moment I decided I absolutely needed to come work in New Zealand. I was 20, fresh off a semester abroad in Australia, and traveling for a couple of weeks in NZ before flying home. I was in Glenorchy on a horseback ride through my fantasyland (one of the many Lord of the Rings filmsets) and chatting to my beautiful guide, Emma, a 23-year-old British gal who was “escaping the real world for as long as possible.”

The very practical, reasonable side of my brain, used to a life of structure and pre-planned goals, immediately shut down and I found myself welcoming a new expectation of life. And that was that! It took 5 years, but I eventually got my visa sorted, packed a bag or two, and headed south of the equator for an adventure unlike any other.

I knew what field I wanted to work in (marine tourism) and did some research with contacts and friends who had traveled NZ before, eventually deciding I wanted to try and work in Kaikoura. It was touted as the marine mammal hotspot of the country, and my good friend Fi (who I actually had never met in person until moving to NZ) was working there. It seemed perfect!

Applications were sent. Bank accounts were opened. Cars were purchased. A room was rented. Interviews were had. And then, there I was, employed as a dolphin swim guide in this beautiful little seaside town. The company I worked for is called Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura, the only dolphin swim company in Kaikoura and arguably one of the most well-organized operations in New Zealand. I might be biased, but I think Kaikoura is the place to swim with wild dolphins in the world. See why I believe it’s ethical here!

I figured it might be interesting for you to know what a typical day looks like as a dolphin-swim guide. What do we do? Are we in the water everyday? Answer: no, we are safety officers, naturalists, info providers, first mates, and coaches. There are also plenty of other tourism jobs in New Zealand, so this could be helpful for those of you wondering what it’s like to work abroad.

Wake Up, Sunshine! Oh Wait, the Sun’s Not Up Yet…

Yep. The wake up call is way early for this job. Although they operate year-round, in the prime of summer, the company is very busy…this is one of the top ecotourism activities in the country. That means we run 3 tours a day, and the first one is a sunrise tour. My alarm went off around 4:15 a.m. As a morning person, I like to have a little time to myself to chill before throwing on my uniform and prancing off to work at 5 a.m.. I knew of fellow employees that would roll out of bed, throw their uniform on, and head straight to work, brushing their teeth once they arrived and waiting until after the first tour to eat breakfast. That would never have worked for me, but we’re all different!

Get to Work, Prep the Equipment

Upon arrival, the guides are immediately busy pulling out the wetsuit racks that have been drying all night in the “drying room,” a big area with fans blowing all over the place. We put away any masks and snorkels or hoods that need to be sorted, while the check-in crew head out to the front desk to greet the early morning guests.

I always found this a fun time to catch up with fellow crew, chat about what we did that weekend/last night, hopes for the day, or whatever else might pop into our mind. By this point I’m pretty well awake, which is good because very shortly we’ll be dealing with paying guests…

Suit Guests Up for the First Tour

And they arrive! This means by 5:30 a.m., we’re ready to start suiting guests up. We call in various groups, one at a time, into the wetsuitting area to get them properly fitted in all of their gear and dressed before the briefing. The guides are on hand to help with sizing, adjusting anything, and offering advice. A lot of folks are nervous to be up so early, knowing they’re about to hop into the ocean with wild animals! We help qualm their fears while also scouting out any potential health or ability issues in the swimmers.

Sunrise Tour

While the briefing video plays, the guides and skippers get a brief break for a quick cup of tea. And then we’re out on the buses that take us on a short five minute ride to South Bay Harbour. Once there, usually a little after 6 a.m., we board our respective vessels (there are 3 that we take out), do our safety briefings, and head out to find the dolphins.

The guides help the skippers spot the giant dusky pods (seriously, there are hundreds of dolphins consistently in this area, so it’s pretty fun to scan the horizon for their playful leaps and splashes), give informational talks on the P.A. system, help guests with any issues, provide snorkel lessons, rent out GoPros, and overall just provide a fun, safe environment for folks to enjoy themselves.

It’s pretty incredible getting to take people out on the water to fulfill a lifelong dream of theirs. The duskies in Kaikoura are (OF COURSE) completely wild, and often very playful and interactive, and a lot of folks just can’t wrap their head around how many dolphins there are! Watching the joy in our guests and seeing the dolphins everyday are obviously the best parts of the job.

Responsibilities as a guide include constant counting of swimmers in the water (as it’s in the open ocean, it’s critical to make sure all swimmers are accounted for), assisting with any nerves or questions, working with the skipper to ensure everyone’s safety, helping folks figure out where the dolphins are (you’d be surprised how many folks keep their heads up OUT of the water while dolphins are swimming BELOW them), and motivating folks with pep talks and high energy.

After the swim, guests get changed into dry clothes and we move into a 20-30 minute photo session, letting folks snap photos from above the surface and enjoy the company of the frolicking dolphins. We’re usually back in the harbour a bit before 9.

Tea Break

Back at the Dolphin Encounter base, we have a quick break in between tours to have breakfast, a snack, another cup of coffee, whatever we need before turning right back around and heading back to the harbour for the 9 a.m. tour.

Morning Tour

Round two! Same as the sunrise tour, usually a little busier, we head back out to find dolphins for the guests to interact with.

Lunch Break

Sweet, sweet lunch. A full 30 minutes to relax and indulge in some good chitter chatter in the crew room. This is often the time of day where the energy level is low, but you better pump yourself up because round number 3 is coming…

Afternoon Tour

The third trip of the day is usually pretty chill, as most of the really motivated bucket-listers went out in the morning and the guests tend to be backpackers or folks that are a bit more relaxed with their itinerary. There’s also that little buzz amongst the crew knowing that once you get back to the harbour, you’re almost done for the day!

Clean Up

After that last trip, you do a bit of clean-up if the land crew needs help (putting fins away, washing wetsuits in the spaceship-looking wetsuit washing drum), or help clean up the boats if you’re on the South Bay crew for the day. It’s typically around 4 or 5 p.m. at this point, so you’re usually pretty ready to get off your feet and head home.

HOME

And…sweet home. If I had energy for another activity, I’d go surfing, a light jog, a walk, a bit of yoga, whatever I was in the mood for. Then it’s dinner prep, chill time with friends (if time allows), and me getting all snuggled into bed by….8 p.m. No joke! What do you expect from a girl who needs 8 hours of sleep and wakes at 4 a.m.? Every crew member has their own rhythm, but that’s what worked for me.

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All up, working as a dolphin swim guide has probably been one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in ecotourism. You’re essentially a coach and cheerleader, pumping people up to have one of the most incredible experiences of their life! If you don’t beleive me, check out the Dolphin Encounter instagram and see what sort of encounters guests have. It’s unreal.

New Zealand is full of all sorts of seasonal tourism work, so if you have a dream to see this beautiful country and want to do it in an affordable way, jump on that working holiday train! Who knows…you might just find yourself working with dolphins every day. I was able to make enough money to support myself, fund my travels at the end of the season and adventures on weekends, and even save up a decent amount. I also forged friendships that I’m sure will last a lifetime - this type of place attracts the most amazing people!

So get out there, you! The world is waiting.

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