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Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise: Unrivalled Access to Rare Animals and Remote Locations
4.8
48 Ratings
Dunedin
Embark on the Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise for an unforgettable adventure. Explore remote locations and encounter rare animals, including Royal Albatross, Fur Seals, Sea Lions, and Yellow-eyed Penguins.
Embark on the Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise for an unforgettable adventure. Explore remote locations and encounter rare animals, including Royal Albatross, Fur Seals, Sea Lions, and Yellow-eyed Penguins.
Duration:
6 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Otago Peninsula - Enjoy a scenic drive across the beautiful roads of the Otago Peninsula. Take in the stunning views of the coast and harbour whilst your guide gives a full commentary.
- Allans Beach - Take a short walk from the minivan to one of NZ’s top beaches. You’ll be treated to dramatic coastal scenery and offshore islands. Keep an eye…
- Otago Peninsula - Enjoy a scenic drive across the beautiful roads of the Otago Peninsula. Take in the stunning views of the coast and harbour whilst your guide gives a full commentary.
- Allans Beach - Take a short walk from the minivan to one of NZ’s top beaches. You’ll be treated to dramatic coastal scenery and offshore islands. Keep an eye out for the impressive NZ Sea Lions.
- Monarch Wildlife Cruises - Wellers Rock Wharf - Hop aboard a special one-hour Wildlife Cruise aboard the MV Monarch. The crew will get you up-close to fur seals, royal albatross and other rare wildlife as you journey past the Taiaroa Head Lighthouse and out to sea.
- The Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance - Your guide will take you on walking tour through a Yellow-eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve. You’ll be given a behind-the-scenes look at the on-site rehab centre before going in to the reserve. This is a great chance to see the worlds rarest penguin in the wild!
What's Included
- Complimentary Warm & Waterproof Jackets
- Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Complimentary Binoculars
- Complimentary Warm & Waterproof Jackets
- Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Complimentary Binoculars
What's Not Included
- Dinner
- Dinner
Additional Information
The Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise is a must for lovers of nature and wildlife. This tour offers unparalleled access to untouched places and unique wildlife. You’ll tour different picturesque spots on the Otago Peninsula and witness Otago Harbour in a distinct Wildlife Cruise. During the tour, your guide will provide tailored narration and…
The Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise is a must for lovers of nature and wildlife. This tour offers unparalleled access to untouched places and unique wildlife. You’ll tour different picturesque spots on the Otago Peninsula and witness Otago Harbour in a distinct Wildlife Cruise. During the tour, your guide will provide tailored narration and assist in sighting Royal Albatross, Fur Seals, Sea Lions and Yellow-eyed Penguins.
Location
20 Fryatt Street
Fryatt Street
Please check-in 15 minutes prior to your tours scheduled start time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(48 Ratings)
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Bethmk5717re
May 10, 2025
Excellent tour of New Zealand wildlife - The wildlife cruise was a highlight of my trip to New Zealand. Our tour guide was informative and enthusiastic. We saw sea lions and even had one try to get up close and personal! We saw albatross, blue penguins, and even spotted a yellow headed penguin on its way back to its nest!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ricardobravolopez
Apr 13, 2025
Must do! - Very enthusiastic and passionate personnel. The views are incredible and the animals seen are incredible. Tim is the best guide, he made the experience incredible
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nigelbb9416yb
Mar 31, 2025
A brilliant tour with abundant sightings of wildlife and an excellent guide. - A fantastic tour with a brilliant guide. First of all we visited some bays with abundant shore birds then a beautiful wild beach in search of sea lions and seals of which we saw some. Then the cruise with fantastic views of the albatrosses and seals. Finally, we visited a hospital for penguins and then did a walk and saw some in the wild.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sue
Mar 30, 2025
Wonderful experience - great to see nature being supported - We did the self drive combination.
The team were very helpful and knowledgeable.
The work being done simply supports nature and provides a great glimpse into the wonders.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lucilleh83
Feb 12, 2025
Majestic Dunedin Peninsula and wildlife tour with the true Sovoreigns ( Monarchs) of Dunedin - What an informative introduction to the beauty of the peninsula and the non human inhabitants of Dunedin
From the purkeko , stilts , flat billed oyster catchers,paradise ducks ,plovers , herons , royal spindles to the lazily frolicking sea lions / intent seals to the majestic albatross nesting in Pukekura Pa , the Hoiho and the Fiordland crested penguins at the OPERA , we rhotoughly enjoyed Rob’s tales
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H5152pvrobertd
Jan 18, 2025
Excellent tour - I enjoyed this wildlife tour to the Otago Peninsula. We made a few stops en route to the albatrosses. At one stop, I saw a female New Zealand Sea Lion on a beach.
When we reached Weller's Rock, 12 of us got off to see the albatrosses from the water. We took a one hour cruise on the MV Monarch. (The other four took the land option and visited the Royal Albatross Centre.)
Albatrosses like strong winds so they can glide easily. They have a wingspan of 3.3 m./11 feet and soar on air currents. The wind also meant that the sea was choppy. It was not easy to take photos when the boat was going up and down! We sailed by Tairoa Head, the only place where albatrosses nest on a mainland. Their other nesting sites are on remote islands.
In the water, we saw blue penguins, hector's dolphins (the world's rarest), and New Zealand fur seals. Albatrosses in flight are majestic. Unlike the seagulls, they do not flap their wings. They just soar.
After the cruise, the van picked us up and brought us to OPERA to see the yellow-eyed penguins. (I wrote a separate review of OPERA.) We hiked to a remote beach and then visited the rehabilitation centre to see the penguins up close. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scenic28639768522
Nov 10, 2024
Great afternoon - Well spent! - We did the Triple Crown self driving tour. It was a great option allowing a cheaper price and because everything is very close to each other, there was no stress at getting from Point A to B to C. The guides were lovely and knowledgeable and one can tell they are very passionate about what they do and conservation of the wildlife here in NZ! We were very lucky to see heaps of Albatross as well as a pair of Hoiho's strolling in from the ocean to their nests. We enjoyed the boat ride as well with heaps of room aboard and getting up close and personal with the sea birds without invading their space. Very impressed how everyone was very conscious of giving the soldiers the space they needed to not stress them out. Shout out to all of the tour guides! Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arunachalam_a
Nov 4, 2024
Memorable Trip in New Zealand - Great tour with lots of attractions and wildlife seeing. Very enjoyable and lovely memories.
Tour operators were very nice and friendly. They provided all information needed to know and answered well when asked.
Review provided by Viator
Tomcr3768ew
Oct 10, 2024
Incredible Wildlife Tour! - My original Peninsula Encounters and Wildlife Cruise tour was cancelled due to bad weather but Monarch immediately offered a move onto the following day. I'm so glad there was space as this was a fantastic tour of the Otago Peninsula! The guide was Tim, he was full of detailed information and anecdotes, really bringing the lives of the animals we were seeing to life.
There are three major stops on the tour, with additional birdwatching from within the minibus (note binoculars are supplied if you don't have them). The first was to get up close to sealions on one of the beaches (which involves walking on sand), the second was the wildlife cruise round the head (takes about an hour) and the last is to try and see yellow eyed penguin coming in off the sea at OPERA (which requires a moderate level of fitness due to steps). We had an exceptionally lucky afternoon/evening and saw two yellow eyed penguins, little penguins, two albatross species, sealions, fur seals and Hector's dolphin. Even if you don't see everything, you are still learning so much about the wildlife in this special place. I wholeheartedly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
443nf
Feb 13, 2025
But you don't have to.... - Well, since probably too few people have booked 2 groups were merged. Dan our guide informed us really well. However, we still had to pick up several groups and this ride took a long time and the route to the mountains was without fortification and very narrow, a hell of a ride. The one-hour boat tour in the bay can be skipped. The exhaust gases from the diesel engine could not be tolerated. We also doubt that dolphins or penguins will ever be sighted there in our time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
