---
title: "Dolphin Encounter: search popularity and Share of Search in New Zealand"
description: "Dolphin Encounter runs whale or dolphin tours in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/brands/dolphin-encounter"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Dolphin Encounter: search popularity and Share of Search in New Zealand

Dolphin Encounter runs whale or dolphin tours in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Brand**: Dolphin Encounter
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Measured month**: Aug 2026
- **Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours**: 12.2%

## Where the brand sits

| Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Whale and dolphin tours | 3 | 12.2% | 1.7K |

- [Whale and dolphin tours](/demand/nz/categories/nz-marine-wildlife-tours)

## How has branded search demand for Dolphin Encounter changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Dolphin Encounter in New Zealand fell from 3.9K to 1.7K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dolphin Encounter’s estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand decreased from 14.9% to 12.2%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dolphin Encounter’s estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand peaked at 21.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 9.3% in July 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dolphin Encounter fell from 2nd to 3rd among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand whale and dolphin tours in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Dolphin Encounter gained estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, from 9.3% to 12.2%.
- In August 2026, Black Cat Cruises gained estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, from 7.4% to 9.3%.
- In August 2026, Whale Watch Kaikoura gained estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, from 61.7% to 63.4%.
- In August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins lost estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, from 20% to 13.7%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Wings Over Whales in New Zealand fell 56.3% over 11 measured months, from 480 to 210 in August 2026.

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Whale and dolphin tours | 3.9K | 14.9% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Whale and dolphin tours | 7K | 18.3% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Whale and dolphin tours | 8.6K | 19.9% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 8.6K | 17% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 8.6K | 20.1% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 8.5K | 21.6% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 4.8K | 18.1% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 2.6K | 15.3% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 1.4K | 10.9% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 1.1K | 9.3% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | 1.7K | 12.2% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Whale and dolphin tours | — | — | — |

## How is Dolphin Encounter measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dolphin Encounter’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- “dolphin encounter”
- “dolphin encounter near me”
- “dolphin encounter new zealand”
- “dolphin encounter nz”
- “dolphin encounter swim with dolphins”
- “dolphinencounter”
- “encounter kaikoura”

## Which whale and dolphin tours compete with Dolphin Encounter?

- [Whale Watch Kaikoura](/demand/nz/brands/whale-watch-kaikoura): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/dolphin-encounter-vs-whale-watch-kaikoura
- [Akaroa Dolphins](/demand/nz/brands/akaroa-dolphins): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-dolphin-encounter
- [Black Cat Cruises](/demand/nz/brands/black-cat-cruises): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/black-cat-cruises-vs-dolphin-encounter
- [Wings Over Whales](/demand/nz/brands/wings-over-whales): Head-to-head: /demand/nz/compare/dolphin-encounter-vs-wings-over-whales

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Dolphin Encounter: search popularity and Share of Search in New Zealand". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/brands/dolphin-encounter

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/brands/dolphin-encounter. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.