National Geographic sent us three cultural explorers to discover what makes Kaikoura so special, and our first stop was an iconic roadside eatery.

Men's been welcome to men's Ben Granted started this back in 1977.

These crazy just caught straight out in front of the shop here.

Plain and simple, very fresh.

See how we like to keep her mhm.

Awesome.

Here we go.

Team.

Oh, my God, that looks amazing.

Fantastic.

Thank you.

Don't be shy, team Exciting.

Oh, my gosh!

Oh, wow.

On the one hand, it's such simple food, but it's so rich and flavorful.

Yeah, it's just plain simple, tasty seafood Coke, or is known for its seafood and all the seafood that we're getting Coke or is beautiful travelers.

I mean, we've got this incredible landscape we're looking at.

We've met incredible people.

We've eaten delicious food.

What is it here like?

It seems like you've got everything you know.

It's beautiful.

Way to see the wells Go swim with dolphins.

You go kayak with the seals.

You know, uh, that's everything is here.

Why would you want to leave?

I don't problem.

Solve.

After tasting the Kaikoura crayfish, I went off to have a marine wildlife adventure of my own, swimming with the region's famed dusky dolphins.

Mhm.

We're here with Dolphin Takakura.

I'm so excited to be going in with the dolphins steak.

Can you tell us a little bit about what we're gonna see in the water and make sure that we have the dusky dolphins primarily here and they usually reside along our coastline and really large boats There they are, right here in the background.

Um, and it's an only around opportunity, which is quite unusual for this type of activity.

And that's why Kaiko to is, uh, world renowned for marine memo interaction and activity.

Mhm.

Oh, oh, I think what's really key is that interacting with wildlife makes you discover something about yourself as well as discovering something in nature.

And that's what we're so absolutely rapt to share with everyone who comes here.

Yeah, special.

It is very special.

You're good to go.

I must have helped a dozen times every time they came up, it was like a squeal of delight.

Sometimes they would show up in my face, you know, just sort of nose to nose, take a peek and move along.

Remember popping my head out of the water a few times just to sort of look around and remind myself that, like, this isn't a green screen.

This isn't a movie.

This is This is real.

These these animals are here.

And just with me it was an incredible woman.

That was that so fun.

So awesome.

That was incredible.

There were dozens of them and they were just swimming in circles around me and as it was magic, thank you.

Meanwhile, artist Christoph Niemann joined community leader Brett Cowan at Kaikoura Point Keen Seal Colony.

I read on a plaque somewhere Did this rock that we're standing on actually has a big spiritual history.

Also in terms for Maori history, most definitely has.

As Maui was fishing up his gigantic fish to Ika a Maui, so much pressure was exerted through his body at the side of his canoe started to push out into the ocean.

That's how we say the peninsula was formed by Maoris foot.

So we're standing in Manama's footprints here.

My personal threshold for feeling a spiritual experience is very high.

But I gotta say, standing here with the ocean surrounding you above that is, it's moving.

What makes the space of special in terms of the wheels.

Their main concern is about sustainability of of the whale's habitat.

So keeping it small and saving a small dishonesty attraction.

And we're just Spectators.

We feel responsible for all wildlife in this area and that we treat them and revere them as an extension or extended part of our family.

What we call far.

No, we're We're grateful that we have those special Tonga or gifts that have been handed down from our ancestors for us to manage today, a concept which we call Kitty AKI Tanga, or the act of guardianship is very strong from Children right through to elders.

And is that sense of environmentalism, sustainability and caring for mother Earth?

Mhm.

This is such a magical place.

The ocean and the land really coming together.

I've never seen something Where you have the high mountain snow covered that close to the ocean?

Yeah, the animals.

Just seeing all the animals that we've seen since we've been here between the whales and the dolphins and the birds and the seals.

There's just been so much here and it all feels really interconnected with the land and the place.

It's been amazing, everything.

It's beautiful and it's not just the animals.

I mean, the people have been incredibly welcoming as well, and it really makes you feel like this is a place that you want to spend a lot more time.

Yes, hi.