Beachgoers were thrilled after spotting a pod of eight dolphins at Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel.
Video footage supplied to Newshub shows crowds gathering to watch the friendly dolphins at around 4:30pm on Tuesday.
The dolphins were not hesitant, swimming just metres away from surfers.
Coromandel, a popular tourist destination, offers activities such as swimming with dolphins, whale watching and scuba diving.
While swimming with dolphins may be a popular tourist activity, The Department of Conservation suggests people in vessels should maintain a safe distance, to avoid stressing out the mammal.
Under the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations Act, vessels - including jet skis - should not disturb or harass the mammal.
Vessels cannot exceed 10 knots until more than 300m away from a dolphin.
Anyone charged with harassing, disturbing, injuring or killing a marine mammal may face a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment or a fine to a maximum of $250,000.
