--- title: "Akaroa Dolphins vs Dolphin Encounter: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?" description: "Which is more popular in search, Akaroa Dolphins or Dolphin Encounter? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Whale and dolphin tours set 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/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-dolphin-encounter" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Akaroa Dolphins vs Dolphin Encounter: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand? Which is more popular in search, Akaroa Dolphins or Dolphin Encounter? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Whale and dolphin tours set 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 - **Compared**: Akaroa Dolphins and Dolphin Encounter - **Competitive set**: Whale and dolphin tours - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Aug 2026 - **Akaroa Dolphins Share of Search**: 13.7% - **Dolphin Encounter Share of Search**: 12.2% ## Which is more popular in search, Akaroa Dolphins or Dolphin Encounter? - In August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins had more branded searches than Dolphin Encounter among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand. Akaroa Dolphins was estimated to have 1.9K branded searches compared to Dolphin Encounter’s 1.7K, and held a 13.7% Share of Search versus Dolphin Encounter’s 12.2%. - The lead changed hands once in the 11 months ending August 2026: Akaroa Dolphins took it in June 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins’ estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand moved from 14% to 13.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.6K to 1.9K. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dolphin Encounter’s estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand moved from 14.9% to 12.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.9K to 1.7K. ## 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, Akaroa Dolphins lost estimated Share of Search among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand, from 20% to 13.7%. ## Month by month | Month | Akaroa Dolphins estimated searches | Akaroa Dolphins Share of Search | Akaroa Dolphins rank | Dolphin Encounter estimated searches | Dolphin Encounter Share of Search | Dolphin Encounter rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 3.6K | 14% | 3 | 3.9K | 14.9% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | 4.5K | 11.7% | 3 | 7K | 18.3% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | 6.7K | 15.5% | 3 | 8.6K | 19.9% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | 6.7K | 13.2% | 3 | 8.6K | 17% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | 5.5K | 12.8% | 3 | 8.6K | 20.1% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | 4.5K | 11.3% | 3 | 8.5K | 21.6% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | 3.7K | 13.9% | 3 | 4.8K | 18.1% | 2 | | May 2026 | 2.4K | 14.4% | 3 | 2.6K | 15.3% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | 1.9K | 14.7% | 2 | 1.4K | 10.9% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 2.4K | 20% | 2 | 1.1K | 9.3% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 1.9K | 13.7% | 2 | 1.7K | 12.2% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Akaroa Dolphins’ and Dolphin Encounter’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **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. - **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. - [Akaroa Dolphins profile](/demand/nz/brands/akaroa-dolphins) - [Dolphin Encounter profile](/demand/nz/brands/dolphin-encounter) - [All whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-marine-wildlife-tours): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 brands. ## 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 is more popular in search, Akaroa Dolphins or Dolphin Encounter? In August 2026, Akaroa Dolphins had more branded searches than Dolphin Encounter among whale and dolphin tours in New Zealand. Akaroa Dolphins was estimated to have 1.9K branded searches compared to Dolphin Encounter’s 1.7K, and held a 13.7% Share of Search versus Dolphin Encounter’s 12.2%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Akaroa Dolphins vs Dolphin Encounter: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-dolphin-encounter This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/akaroa-dolphins-vs-dolphin-encounter. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.