Auckland Dolphin and Whale Watching Eco-Safari Cruise: Explore Hauraki Gulf's Wildlife

Embark on an exciting eco-safari cruise in Auckland to spot whales, dolphins, and seabirds in the pristine waters of Hauraki Gulf. Learn from experts and contribute to marine conservation efforts.

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hauraki Gulf / TÄ«kapa Moana - New Zealand’s most interactive whale and dolphin watching experience.
    An incredible eco safari direct from downtown Auckland. If you’ve always wanted to go whale watching, our 4.5-hour safari features breathtaking encounters with New Zealand marine wildlife, including whales, dolphins, seals, rare seabirds, and more!…
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Contribution to Marine Mammal Conservation with every ticket
  • Expert commentary and interaction with onboard Marine Research Scientists
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks (available to purchase)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Look for whales, dolphins and seabirds in the pristine waters of Hauraki Gulf just a short boat ride from Auckland city’s Viaduct Harbour. Learn from experts on board working to protect these precious creatures and their fragile home. As an active marine-mammal research vessel every passenger contributes to important conservation efforts, just by coming…

Location
Eastern Viaduct
Our boat is at Berth 9, Eastern Viaduct Marina, accessed from the end of Quay Street heading West. This is opposite the Maritime Museum. On arrival look for our crew at the top of our boarding ramp to check in 30 minutes before departure (check-in closes 15 minutes prior to trip time).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(1498 Ratings)
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Heleni_l
Aug 20, 2024
Great , polite and... - Great , polite and knowledgeable people! The ladies very enthusiastic! I will recommend this activity to me friends ! Thank you
Review provided by Viator
Julie_t
Aug 17, 2024
A satisfied customer on an eco Whale & Dolphin tour - A very enjoyable and informative experience. We saw 2 pods of dolphins & 1 whale, so we were very satisfied. The crew were very professional and wanted to share their marine knowledge with the passengers. The boat was very comfortable with plenty of viewing areas
Review provided by Viator
Pizzadaveleyland
Jul 6, 2024
Dolfins galore - Fantastic trip from start to Finnish, nice boat well informed staff saw allsorts of wildlife . Saw at least 100 dolfins so I was more than happy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
389debbiek
Jun 22, 2024
What a fantastic tour ! - We had a fantastic day and got to see many dolphins riding the waves with boat. Possibly 2 or 3 whales and thousands of gannets diving in for food. If you choose to sit at the bow be prepared to get soaked ! The staff stated it was the best day they've seen in awhile.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louis92l
Jun 20, 2024
Amazing experience , we got so lucky - What an amazing day we got so lucky. It was one of the last days of the season in winter but the weather and The conditions were perfect. We saw 3 different Bryde’s whales which are resident in the area. We saw a bottlenose dolphin which stayed with us for a good while and then saw multiple pods of common dolphins. We also saw multiple feeding frenzies with the dolphins whales and gannets all feeding at the same time. It was incredible to do. This was my second time coming back having not seen whales in my first go they kindly give you a voucher to come again. They also explain about the area and the islands you are sailing past as well as going through research they are doing in the area. George and we a standout and made it very good fun and informative For nature and animals lovers such a great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_d
Jun 19, 2024
6 stars - A memorable experience worth every penny. Big shout to the amazing crew / scientists on board (Graeme, Emily, Jo & George) who shared their invaluable knowledge, experience and took really good care of us.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_p
Jun 19, 2024
Amazing! A must do! - This was the best day! The crew was so friendly and knowledgeable. I think we were quite lucky and saw several groups of dolphins, Some of which stayed with the boat for at least a half an hour , thousands of sea birds, and at least two whales. I highly recommend this trip!
Review provided by Viator
Lily_l
Jun 18, 2024
Excellent whale and dolphins watch cruise with an amazing crew - We had a wonderful time with the Auckland Dolphins and Whale Watch Eco Safari Cruise. To start, the tour was well organized with easy and fast check-in and boarding the ship. A crew of four took excellent care of all the passengers, they gave excellent commentary about the Auckland marine lives, surrounding islands, the flora and fauna, and how to seek out whales and dolphins and much much more. When the boat got choppy and many passengers felt seasick the crew became caregivers and ensured everyone’s wellbeing. They were the best crew! Now the marine animals we came to see - we saw schools of dolphins and three whales! The dolphins were like old pals swimming along the boat and quite playful jetting out of the water with each wave push by the boat. The three whales were nothing short of spectacular. The crew were also marine scientists recording the sights and findings. They said that encountering three whales on a trip is rare. Our tour was mid June whale season so that might played in our favor. The total trip was about three hours. Aside from getting seasick a bit the trip was wonderful.
Review provided by Viator
Ln1996_28
Aug 11, 2024
Whale of a time - This was a really amazing opportunity to see the local sealife. We saw a Bryde's whale, dolphins, a penguin, and manta rays. We were probably more excited to follow the whale but the crew were keen to follow the manta rays. It was a very hot day and the boat felt very crowded with limited seating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ericbj4717tu
Sep 1, 2024
Mid week cruises get cancelled in the Winter - don't bother scheduling - We had this cruise and one other cancel on us at the last minute because they didn't have enough passengers to do the cruise profitably. Don't trust that you will be able to take a cruise if you are planning one mid week in the off season. Better to plan something else that you can count on. Weather was beautiful both days that we could/should have done a whale cruise but we wound up having to make other plans on short notice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $124
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).