---
title: "Whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?"
description: "Compare the whale watching and dolphin tour operators visitors book in New Zealand. Share of Search among Whale Watch Kaikoura, Akaroa Dolphins, Dolphin Encounter, Black Cat Cruises and Wings Over Whales, the whale and dolphin tours Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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/categories/nz-marine-wildlife-tours"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?

Compare the whale watching and dolphin tour operators visitors book in New Zealand. Share of Search among Whale Watch Kaikoura, Akaroa Dolphins, Dolphin Encounter, Black Cat Cruises and Wings Over Whales, the whale and dolphin tours Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. 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

- **Competitive set**: Whale and dolphin tours
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 5
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Whale Watch Kaikoura, 63.4%

## Which brand is most popular in search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand?

- In August 2026, Whale Watch Kaikoura was the most searched among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, with an estimated 9K branded searches and 63.4% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Akaroa Dolphins is in 2nd place, 49.6 percentage points behind at 13.7% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Whale Watch Kaikoura’s estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand increased from 62% to 63.4%.
- 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, Black Cat Cruises’ estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand increased from 7.3% to 9.3%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Whale Watch Kaikoura’s estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand peaked at 67.3% in June 2026 and was lowest at 56.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins’ estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand peaked at 20% in July 2026 and was lowest at 11.3% in March 2026.
- 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, Black Cat Cruises’ estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand peaked at 10.7% in January 2026 and was lowest at 4.8% in March 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins rose from 3rd to 2nd among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dolphin Encounter fell from 2nd to 3rd among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Wings Over Whales held steady: its estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Whale Watch Kaikoura vs Akaroa Dolphins: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-whale-watch-kaikoura): 63.4% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Whale Watch Kaikoura vs Dolphin Encounter: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/dolphin-encounter-vs-whale-watch-kaikoura): 63.4% against 12.2% Share of Search.
- [Whale Watch Kaikoura vs Black Cat Cruises: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/black-cat-cruises-vs-whale-watch-kaikoura): 63.4% against 9.3% Share of Search.
- [Akaroa Dolphins vs Dolphin Encounter: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-dolphin-encounter): 13.7% against 12.2% Share of Search.
- [Akaroa Dolphins vs Black Cat Cruises: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-black-cat-cruises): 13.7% against 9.3% Share of Search.
- [Dolphin Encounter vs Black Cat Cruises: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/black-cat-cruises-vs-dolphin-encounter): 12.2% against 9.3% Share of Search.

## 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.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 63.4% | 9K | +19.7% | Whale Watch Kaikoura |
| 2 | Akaroa Dolphins | 13.7% | 1.9K | -20.1% | Akaroa Dolphins |
| 3 | Dolphin Encounter | 12.2% | 1.7K | +53.1% | Dolphin Encounter |
| 4 | Black Cat Cruises | 9.3% | 1.3K | +46.7% | Black Cat Cruises |
| 5 | Wings Over Whales | 1.5% | 210 | 0.0% | Wings Over Whales |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 16.2K | 62% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Dolphin Encounter | 3.9K | 14.9% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Akaroa Dolphins | 3.6K | 14% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Black Cat Cruises | 1.9K | 7.3% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Wings Over Whales | 480 | 1.8% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 24K | 62.2% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Dolphin Encounter | 7K | 18.3% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Akaroa Dolphins | 4.5K | 11.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Black Cat Cruises | 2.4K | 6.3% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Wings Over Whales | 590 | 1.5% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 24.5K | 56.5% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Dolphin Encounter | 8.6K | 19.9% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Akaroa Dolphins | 6.7K | 15.5% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Black Cat Cruises | 2.9K | 6.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Wings Over Whales | 590 | 1.4% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 29.2K | 57.4% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 8.6K | 17% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 6.7K | 13.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 5.4K | 10.7% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 880 | 1.7% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 24.3K | 56.7% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 8.6K | 20.1% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 5.5K | 12.8% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 3.6K | 8.4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 880 | 2% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 23.6K | 60% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 8.5K | 21.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 4.5K | 11.3% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 1.9K | 4.8% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 880 | 2.2% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 15.9K | 60.4% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 4.8K | 18.1% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 3.7K | 13.9% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 1.6K | 6.2% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 390 | 1.5% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 10.7K | 63% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 2.6K | 15.3% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 2.4K | 14.4% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 900 | 5.3% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 320 | 1.9% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 8.9K | 67.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 1.9K | 14.7% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 1.4K | 10.9% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 740 | 5.6% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 210 | 1.6% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 7.5K | 61.7% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 2.4K | 20% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 1.1K | 9.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 900 | 7.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 210 | 1.7% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | 9K | 63.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | 1.9K | 13.7% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | 1.7K | 12.2% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | 1.3K | 9.3% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Wings Over Whales | 210 | 1.5% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Akaroa Dolphins | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Black Cat Cruises | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Dolphin Encounter | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Whale Watch Kaikoura | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Wings Over Whales | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Akaroa Dolphins**: Measured on the search terms “akaroa dolphins”, “akaroa dolphins harbour nature cruise”, “akaroa dolphins new zealand”, “akaroadolphins” and “akaroadolphins co nz”, summed into one figure.
- **Black Cat Cruises**: Measured on the search terms “black cat cruises”, “black cat cruises nz”, “blackcat co nz” and “blackcatcruises”, summed into one figure.
- **Dolphin Encounter**: Measured on the search terms “dolphin encounter”, “dolphin encounter near me”, “dolphin encounter new zealand”, “dolphin encounter nz”, “dolphin encounter swim with dolphins”, “dolphinencounter” and “encounter kaikoura”, summed into one figure.
- **Whale Watch Kaikoura**: Measured on the search terms “whale watch”, “whale watch kaikoura”, “whale watch kaikoura ltd”, “whale watch kaikoura whaleway station road kaikoura”, “whalewatch co nz” and “whalewatchkaikoura”, summed into one figure.
- **Wings Over Whales**: Measured on the search term “wings over whales”.

- [Akaroa Dolphins](/demand/nz/brands/akaroa-dolphins)
- [Black Cat Cruises](/demand/nz/brands/black-cat-cruises)
- [Dolphin Encounter](/demand/nz/brands/dolphin-encounter)
- [Whale Watch Kaikoura](/demand/nz/brands/whale-watch-kaikoura)
- [Wings Over Whales](/demand/nz/brands/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.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand?

In August 2026, Whale Watch Kaikoura was the most searched among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, with an estimated 9K branded searches and 63.4% estimated Share of Search within this set.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-marine-wildlife-tours

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-marine-wildlife-tours. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.