Short answer: In Te Pēwhairangi, the Bay of Islands Marine Mammal Sanctuary, people must stay out of the water within 300 m of any marine mammal, and boats must keep 300 m away. From 4 July 2026 DOC removed the two 5-knot safe zones but kept these rules. Explera DMC New Zealand plans every Bay of Islands boat day around them.
The rules protect the bay's bottlenose dolphins, which DOC says spend most of the daylight hours surrounded by boats or people.
What are the sanctuary rules?
- Stay out of the water. No one may be in the water within 300 m of a dolphin, whale or seal in the sanctuary. That includes swimming, snorkelling, diving and paddle boarding off the board.
- Keep boats 300 m away. Every vessel keeps 300 m from marine mammals.
- Stop if they come closer. If a marine mammal comes within 300 m, the boat stops and stays stopped until the animal is more than 300 m away.
- The same rule for every species. Nobody has to work out whether it is a dolphin, a whale or a calf. The distance is always 300 m.
What changed in July 2026?
- The safe zones are gone. The two marine mammal safe zones, about 7% of the sanctuary, required boats to slow to 5 knots. DOC removed them from 4 July 2026.
- Why. DOC said removing them lets it focus compliance and enforcement on the rules around the dolphins themselves, wherever they go.
- Who decided. The change followed public consultation in March 2026 and a recommendation from DOC and Ngā Hapū o Pēwhairangi Marine Mammal Protection Advisory Committee Rōpū.
What does it mean for a group?
- No swimming with dolphins. We do not sell a swim-with-dolphins trip in the Bay of Islands. Clients watch from the boat.
- Expect the boat to stop. If dolphins approach, the skipper stops. We tell clients this is the law, not a breakdown, and allow for it in the timing of the day.
- Brief the group in advance. Clients who kayak or paddle board on free time must stay 300 m away and stay on their craft.
- Sightings are not guaranteed. These are wild animals, so we sell the day on the bay itself: the islands, the Hole in the Rock and the history ashore.
How Explera DMC New Zealand can help
We plan Bay of Islands days and stays for groups. See our Bay of Islands guide, our Auckland and Bay of Islands guide, our Kaikōura and Akaroa wildlife guide and cruises and water experiences.
FAQ
Can clients swim with dolphins in the Bay of Islands? No. In the sanctuary, people must stay out of the water within 300 m of any marine mammal, so we do not sell swim-with-dolphins trips there.
How close can a boat go to dolphins? Boats keep 300 m away. If a dolphin comes closer, the boat stops until it is more than 300 m away.
What changed on 4 July 2026? DOC removed the two 5-knot marine mammal safe zones. The 300 m rules for people and boats did not change.
Do the rules apply to kayaks and paddle boards? Yes. People on kayaks and paddle boards also keep 300 m away and should stay on their craft if an animal comes close.
Will a group see dolphins? Not always. They are wild animals, so we plan the day around the bay and its islands, not around a sighting.
Sources
- Marine mammal sanctuary rules change to improve dolphin protection in Te Pēwhairangi Bay of Islands, Department of Conservation, 3 July 2026
- Te Pēwhairangi (Bay of Islands) Marine Mammal Sanctuary user guidance, Department of Conservation
Talk to the trade desk
Explera DMC New Zealand trade desk — b2b@explera.co.nz, WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090, B2B portal b2b.expleradmc.com.
