Auckland Dolphin And Whale Watching Eco-safari Cruise

Unforgettable experience. Crew really did everything they could to ensure a fantastic trip. Interesting information and pleasant ride. We saw Orca, common dolphin as well as bottlenose dolphin.

We loved the whale watching experience. We saw a large Fn whale and a Minki whale( which uncharacteristically circled our boat! Crew and passengers were all very excited. The crew included 2 marine biologists who talked with us about marine life. It was a great experience

Was a beautiful day. The trip was very comfortable, viewing dolphins and some Wales from a far was still worth it

What a wonderful day. We were very lucky to have beautiful weather, many dolphins and several whales. The staff was amazing - enthusiastic and quite informative. When they spotted something they made every effort to insure the passengers seeing it, too.

Amazing incredible outstanding. We were lucky enough to see a pod of orcas. Then we spent a long time with a huge pod of common dolphins, and got to hear them communicating underwater. The crew were great, informative, attentive and clearly love their jobs. I'd recommend this tour to anyone and everyone.

Large boat with enough room to move about as mammals are sighted. Comfortable, beautiful scenery, great driving, crew interactions throughout. Wonderful.

I really enjoyed the trip. We saw Bryde’s whales and Bottlenose Dolphins. What really made this trip stand out was the fact that the crew were all marine scientists, which meant that they approached the animals in a very responsible way and were able to provide insightful commentaries. Since these trips contribute to their research and some of the proceeds go to conservation projects in the Hauraki Gulf, I can only highly recommend taking this tour. One added bonus was the opportunity to purchase some of the photos the crew took during our trip, especially as it was difficult to get a good picture of the whales.

🙂😀 The journey out was breathtaking, seeing parts of the Earth 🌎 as they were when Noah came off of the Ark.- Genesis 8:15-17 We didn't get to see these "great sea creatures" (Genesis 1:21) up close and personal, but we could see them off in the distance. With the way human beings behave, we don't blame them for keeping their distance. Wonderful experience. The staff were outstanding. 🙂😀

Excellent - saw huge numbers of bottlenose dolphins (the crew thought 50-60 in the pod/s) several Brydes whales and - much to the crew’s excitement and delight - two blue whales. Loads of birds. Great day. Crew very personable as well. Reasonable coffee too. What’s not to love?

This was a wonderful experience! The crew is determined to have its guests see sea life and teach about the different species you could encounter. We did see whales, and the crew got the boat as close as it could so we could see it several times. My 8-year-old had a great time spotting the signs of life in the water and sailing through the harbor.

Wonderful experience- dolphins and a blue whale seen!

It was a great experience with a great and passionate team that really wanted us to enjoy and feel welcome. We also got to see a blue whale thanks to their professionalism and ability to identify different marine animals.

The staff was amazing and very knowledgeable but understand that they have no control whether the whales/dolphins are spotted. Although we didn’t get to see any whales we did get to see a few rare Bottlenose dolphins. We also received a voucher for a future excursion.

The boat crew was very nice and instructive. They tried their best to look for whales, but alas, we didn't see any whales. But we did see the common dolphin. The boat however, was way too overcrowded. There was between 80-100 people on board and they made the experience less enjoyable.

very nice trip! Worth visiting

A great team off crew know whats going on at all times and comucatesion was excellent. One suggestion maybe invest in a done the world is your oster.

We had an absolutely fantastic day whale and dolphin watching in Auckland! We couldn’t have asked for better weather, and we were incredibly lucky — spotting dolphins, whales, and plenty of other marine life during our excursion. What really made the experience exceptional, though, was the crew. They’re marine scientists and experts, and their knowledge, enthusiasm, and genuine passion for the ocean and its wildlife came through throughout the entire trip. We learned so much, and they did a brilliant job of explaining what we were seeing while also making the whole experience fun and engaging. We also really appreciated how respectful the whole experience felt. The emphasis was always on observing and appreciating the animals in their natural environment without disturbing them, which made it feel like a genuinely responsible and ethical way to experience Auckland’s incredible marine wildlife.

Excellent experience, we could not have had a better time! Thank you Lucy and Joe for a great day and photos!

Incredible experience! The crew is knowledgeable, kind, and friendly, and the experience is amazing. We got to see dolphins, orcas, whales, and learn all about the surrounding area.

Great experience! The guides/crew were knowledgeable and engaging with the group. We were very fortunate to be able to spot two types of dolphins, fur seals and a mother whale with her calf! I appreciated the guides explaining that they collect data for research and why, this work is extremely important to ensure the conservation of our marine life.

This was amazing the water was beautiful & the dolphins were incredible..definitely recommend this tour

The tour was good enough. The boat great condition. Very beautiful ⛵️ journey. Love it. The whales and dolphins much appeared.

It was good fun, but I didn’t think it was worth the price. We saw a lot of dolphins, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any whales. It would be great if they offer another trip when no whales are spotted.

Hit some fog early in the cruise. Crew worked to get us out of the fog - no whales but found several dolphins pods. Crew was happy to share info and answer all questions.

We came from Canada as this was a birthday present for my wife (kids came for a freebie) as she always wanted to see dolphins in the wild. The folks on the boat were great and knew where to look. If we return (wife says "oh yes") we'd book up again. You made her birthday. Cheers.

Dress accordingly. You may get wet. It will be cool and windy. Proper footwear for a boat. Sunscreen is advisable.

I received an email the afternoon before our schedule trip cancelling our trip. Gave us the option for a refund or reschedule. We requested to reschedule for the following next. I had to reach back out inquiring and it was again cancelled. I then requested a refund. In which I had to send 2 emails requesting a status of my refund.

Well the tour was cancelled in less than 12 hours before it should start. No real explanation from the crew, just standard sorry. Very disappointing experience with this company.

The staff were communicative, be prepared for some choppy waves(part of the exp for my mind) limited seating so if mobility is an issue potentially look at other options. Saw plenty of wildlife but know nothing is guaranteed. It is a long trip if you have small children have something to keep them distracted:)

This was an amazing experience. We didn’t get to see any whales but there were many dolphins that arrived to say hello. Since we didn’t get to see any whales, they gave us a voucher for another time. We didn’t see any whales that time either, but it was still worth it. Just nice and relaxing being out on the water, and searching for signs of aquatic activity. My wife and I had a blast. We would highly recommend.

The tour guides were humorous and knowledgeable. Did not get to see whales but saw dolphins . I lost two scarves on the boat. I called the tour company one hour after I left the boat and realized lost two scarves. The operator could not reach the staff. The staff told me to go next day to the boat check-in desk to see if anyone found it. I did and the staff handed me one of my missing scarves as another customer found it on the boat when leaving boat. The other still remains missing even though the two scarves were tied together when lost . Although the trip was nice , the company should have a better way for customers to claim their lost goods on the boat .

Very experience crew on aboard. Good commentary along the way. Although we did not see any whales but there were lots of dolphin pods sighted. Manage to get up close with the pods. Would definitely try going on this cruise and this time hope to catch both whales and dolphins. And it's great that the operators are also an ecotourism company that helps to protect the wildlife and be sustainable.

Absolutely brilliant. Great explanations of wildlife, locations and sustainability. We saw 2 whales, hundreds of dolphins, gannets, penguins and other birds.

The tour was cancelled. I know it was disclosed that the tour was weather dependent. However, its been two days and I've contacted them for a refund twice without receiving a response.

Great time - moved by the care and knowledge of the crew. Their expertise, patience, and kindness made the day lovely. The time on the water was an amazing and brilliant experience.

Awesome experience. Very respectful of wildlife. We saw birds, dolphins, whales, and seals. The crew were very knowledgeable of the species and the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Will definetly be booking another adventure when our ohana visits Aotearoa.

It was amazing I loved the crew and the captain and the all the members of the team, overall it’s a very good experience

Great trip/tour. The crew were top notch. They took their job seriously as well as your safety. Saw many 🐬 🐦. Whales did not make an appearance but it did not take away from the beauty that is the Ocean and Auckland. 5 🌟

Excellent it was amazing and beautiful journey.

get to see many dolphins and birds! unfortunately, only able to see the air from the whale. but it was a great activity with lots of information from the staff.

This was a really awesome experience. We saw multiple dolphin pods including baby dolphins swimming with their mother. There were also lots of cormorants feeding on the fish that the dolphins had boxed in. The vessel was very nice and comfortable. Warning: you may get sea sick however the crew are very good at handling this situation. They gave us ginger candy and that actually worked well. They also have bags in case you get sick. Lucky the ginger candy worked but it was a close call for me. Note to self: don’t eat a big breakfast prior to getting on the safari cruise.

A lovely cruise with lovely guides. The speakers need to be louder, otherwise it was great!

An excellent and informative experience. Unique every time and unforgettable memories. And it supports ongoing research into the marine ecosystem it gives us a chance to witness up close. It's a win for everyone.

Crew are super friendly and the experience is incredible, well worth every penny spent on this and will also be back in summer too ! Keep up the great work guys it was an absolute pleasure

Incredible experience, crew were excellent, perfect sunny day and I had fun watching the gentle giants 🐋🐬

This was a fantastic experience. The crew was first class. We saw a whale and dolphins and a range of birds.

We had a tour scheduled for Easter Monday, which we confirmed prior with the operator that they would be operating. We arrived 1/2 hr prior to tour time, as did 3 other groups of people, and we waited and waited. Finally, after the tour was supposed to start, we all started gathering and discussing. The weather appeared to be fine, but we did hear of another operator who was cancelling due to expected bad weather. One of the guests tried calling the number on the boat with no answer. Someone else happened to pull up the website and found that they had cancelled Easter and Easter Monday sailings the day before, but not any of us had been notified by email. About 45 minutes after the scheduled start, a person from the nearby Maritime museum came over and talked to one group, telling them that the tour had been cancelled. Still no word from the operator directly, and no way of knowing if we would get our money refunded. We had so looked forward to this tour and were extremely disappointed. We did subsequently get our money refunded, but we ended up wasting over 1/2 day of our short window in Auckland. I'm guessing the tour would have been great, but surely they could do better about notifying guests who have paid money when they need to cancel.

This was a great experience. Auckland's harbor is beautiful. We did not see whales but saw many dolphins. The spotters/guides were very good, very knowledgeable.

If you’re wondering whether you should do this tour, you should. It’s incredible. The crew is amazing and seeing the marine mammals in person and in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I went with my mom in May and we had such a great tour with Cayla, Toni, John, and Graham. We spotted at least three, possibly four different whales and dozens of dolphins and learned so much about how the whales and birds rely on dolphins to round up fish for food. To learn it and then see it in action was an unforgettable experience. I truly admire the work this tour does for marine science, public education, and running a unique NZ experience. Thanks to the whole crew!