Akaroa Dolphins: Small Group Nature Cruise with Local Wine and Homemade Treats

Join Akaroa Dolphins for a small group nature cruise in Akaroa, New Zealand. Enjoy local wine, homemade treats, and get up close to wildlife. Book now!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 65 Beach Road - As a holder of a New Zealand Department of Conservation Marine Mammal Viewing Permit, we are legally authorized to take guests on dolphin and seal viewing tours. We are proud to be one of only two year-round operators in Akaroa Harbour with this permit, so we encourage you to choose responsibly.
    Enjoy a 2-hour nature cruise on our…
What's Included
  • Famous home-baked cookies
  • Complimentary New Zealand wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic option
What's Not Included
  • We do not swim with the dolphins.
Additional Information

In essence, we are a family enterprise with our steering team being fifth and sixth generation locals of Banks Peninsula. We work alongside our relatives and a dedicated team focused on providing an unforgettable experience!
To ensure comfort and optimal viewing, we limit the number of passengers per group. This allows you sufficient space to explore the…

Location
65 Beach Road
Beach Road
Check-in is no later than 30 minutes prior to the departure, with boarding 15 minutes beforehand. Please note, Akaroa is roughly a 90-minute drive from Christchurch and Lyttelton Port.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(1778 Ratings)
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Discover45621781985
Jan 3, 2025
Good experience - It was a very lovely trip. Special thanks to Captain Gorge and Sera. We were lucky to see some dolphins. We really enjoyed our time in the cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q8825pdlilym
Jan 2, 2025
Great value and stunning day out! - We had a fantastic time out on the Akaroa Dolphin boat today! Accompanied by “Buster 2”, Captain Joe and the lovely Michelle we saw 9 dolphins and many fur seals. The beverage and cookie served was such a nice touch that just added to an already amazing day. I also enjoyed learning more about the Akaroa area, and Cathedral Cave. I would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mariepj5096wy
Jan 2, 2025
Awesome tour, pick these guys - Really nice tour, fun boat trip and playful dolphins to watch. A cute little “ dolphin dog” on board who helped find the rare and tiny dolphins, and the skipper and crew went above and beyond to make sure the experience was great and found lots of animals without being a nuisance to them. Would absolutely reccomend taking this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Malcolmw2025
Jan 2, 2025
Dolphin and nature adventure - What a fantastic experience From our friendly welcoming onto the vessel from Buster the dog and crew to the informative, humorous commentary from skipper Joe and excellent service from Sarah and Michelle To top all that off, mint weather multiple pods of Hectors spotted, seals and much of the history of the area learnt and points of interest seen Very interactive for all adults and children Highly recommend this trip if you get to Akaroa Still buzzing Top marks Joe Buster and team
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bolandunited
Jan 1, 2025
Stunning way to see dolphins and nature - It was absolutely stunning. We saw dolphins a couple of times, got an interesting nature tour and also saw seals. The complimentary drink and cookie were the cherry on top.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camper49341588450
Jan 1, 2025
An Unforgettable Memory! - A lovely and memorable experience with Akaroa Dolphins. We were one of the lucky few that got to have this experience with another couple, so it was a particularly enjoyable experience of dolphin finding that felt almost like a private yacht experience. Because of the smaller group, we also had more opportunities to interact with the staff who were absolutely lovely to talk to! We love how they were equally excited as us when we first spotted the dolphins and it was such a joy to see these little creatures upclose and curiously swarming around us. As an added bonus, we got to see a baby dolphin too! We love what Akaroa Dolphins are doing here, giving guests an unforgettable experience while doing their part to preserve and educate the amazing nature views that New Zealand treasures! Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karensmits
Jan 1, 2025
Fabulous Dolphin watching tour in Akaroa! - Support local and go Dolphin watching with this family owned tour operator. Captain George and Sara are very knowledgeable and provided us with lots of background information on Akaroa, the harbour and of course, the dolphins. We spotted ‘countless’ (20+) according to our kids ages 7 and 4, plus seals and a small pinguin! It was an amazing tour, and I highly recommend this Akaroa Dolphins. What I also love is that they don’t swim with dolphins to protect their habitat!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James
Jan 1, 2025
Really wholesome fun - Joe and Michelle were super friendly, funny and knowledgeable. We saw dolphins, seals, enjoyed a drink and had a great time! They even had jackets for when it got cold, and Buster the dog was really cute too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lesf2017
Jan 1, 2025
Fabulous experience from start to finish! - One of our best experiences while on the South Island. From checking in at the harbour side office to joining skipper Stew on the boat, the whole two hours were amazing! All of the crew were extremely friendly and pro-active in accommodating our needs. The welcome drink was fantastic too! The voyage was marvellous and seeing the dolphins and other animals close up in such a stunning setting was fantastic! Akaroa is also a lovely town, we would have loved to have spent another day there but our itinerary didn't allow it. Thank you so much to everyone at Akaroa Dolphins for making this an unforgettable experience!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andamos_bien
Dec 31, 2024
Very good dolphin-watching - This was a great way to spend a morning in Akaroa. The boat is modern, clean and comfortable and skipper and crew friendly and competent. We saw a lot of dolphins and the captain stopped and turned the boat so we could see them. His wee dog was also good at pointing to where the dolphins would pop up. Seriously! We were lucky with the weather, it was perfect and the sea pretty calm. It helped that we went on the first trip of the day in that respect I think. It was exciting almost being out in the open ocean. We learnt a lot about the history of Akaroa and of course the Hector's dolphins are fascinating to see up close. Do this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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