Kesters Cottage is a holiday house in Russell, in the Bay of Islands. It’s a simple Kiwi Bach with unrivalled views over Long Beach & the Outer Bay of Islands. The house is close to swimming beaches, fishing, sea kayaking, sightseeing, dolphin & whale watching, scuba diving, golf & a host of other activities.
Dolphin watching & Dolphin Swimming in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand
About 450 Bottlenose dolphins live in & around the Bay of Islands
Killer whales periodically visit the Bay of Islands.
The dolphin watching & swimming industry has been a huge success in the Bay of islands, primarily due to the large population of dolphins in area. The dolphins in the Bay of Islands form the largest & most northern of three New Zealand Bottlenose populations. This northland population is concentrated in the Bay of Islands but does range along about 500km of coastline from Doubtless Bay in the north to Tauranga in the south. Using photos of dorsal fins researchers have identified that about 450 dolphins live in the area. As for the other two populations, around 65 bottlenose dolphins live in Fordland and an unknown number live in the Northern South Island between the Marlborough Sounds and Westport.
This large resident population means tour operators boast a 95% success rate and typically provide a refund or free repeat trip if dolphins aren’t seen.
Research by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) has shown dolphins in the Bay of Islands tend to live in deeper water in the outer bay in summer & move into shallow water in winter. It’s thought this change in habitat is linked to distribution of the dolphin’s food that consists of 5-8 kg of small fish & squid a day. When dolphins move into the inner Bay they can often be seen from the wharves& beaches in the towns of Russell & Paiha, or from elevated spots like the Flagstaff in Russell.
With so much interest in Dolphins, there has been concern from both the public & commercial operators that the dolphins could be exploited & potentially harassed out of the Bay. To counter this risk the Department of Conservation (DOC) has been tasked with protecting the dolphins from exploitation, & has implemented a management plan to protect dolphins. In the Bay of islands this plan involves
Inquisative Bottlenose dolphins approaching my Kayak.
- Limiting the number of commercial dolphin operations to three
- Encouraging boats
- Not to approach dolphins between 11.30am and 1pm (when they tend to rest).
- To only approach dolphins slowly from behind and to one side, so they have an escape route.
- Not to drive through a pod of dolphins or cut them off.
- To reduce speed around pods to minimize the risk of running dolphins over.
- Keep visits short to give others the chance to interact with the dolphins without tiring them.
- Banning the swimming with calves or juvenile dolphins (those less than two-thirds the length of adults) is not permitted.
- Designating particular areas such as Deep Waters cove in the Eastern Bay of Islands resting area where boast should keep away from dolphins
The three DOC licensed operators in the Bay of Islands are
- Dolphin Discoveries (09) 402 8234; http://www.dolphinz.co.nz/
- Dolphin Adventures (09) 402 6985; http://www.awesomenz.com/dolphin-eco-encounter/
- Kings Cruises (09) 402 8288; http://www.dolphincruises.co.nz/swim-with-the-dolphins/
Prices charged for dolphin watching & swimming s are fairly similar between the operators, and typically cost around the 100 $ NZ per adult. A portion of the fare is contributed to marine mammal research and conservation in the Bay of Islands. All of the operators do pickups from both Russell & Paiha wharves.
Typically Dolphins watching trips last for around 3 ½ hrs.
Seeing Dolphins is the highlight of many visitors trip to the Bay of Islands, & often New Zealand. So give it a go & enjoy!
Looking for accommodation in Russell or the Bay of Islands? Our 2 bedroom holiday house in Russell has wonderful views over Long Beach & the outer Islands. The house is available for as little $130 per night. If you are in Russell, for a few days, the house provides a great & economical base for the range of activities that the Bay offers
The rental for Kester’s cottage is $ 130 per night. A minimum stay of 2 nights is required. For longer bookings discounted rates are sometimes available. The holiday house is available for rent throughout the year. It is often booked out over the summer holiday season, so advanced bookings are recommended.
