Monarch Wildlife Cruise: Explore Otago Harbour’s Albatross Colony

Embark on a thrilling Monarch Wildlife Cruise in Otago Harbour to witness the majestic royal albatross colony, fur seals, blue penguins, sea lions, and possibly dolphins. Enjoy a full commentary and provided binoculars and jackets for the best wildlife viewing experience.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Taiaroa Head - At the end of the Otago Harbour you’ll find a beautiful historic lighthouse and the world’s only mainland nesting colony of royal albatross. It’s also home to other Southern Ocean wildlife like fur seals, sea lions, cormorants & more!
  • Monarch Wildlife Cruises - Wellers Rock Wharf - One hour Wildlife Cruises departing daily from Wellers Rock Wharf.
What's Included
  • Complimentary wifi
  • Use of high-quality binoculars
  • Complimentary warm and waterproof jackets
Additional Information

Hop aboard our sturdy vessel for a one hour Wildlife Cruise, departing from Wellers Rock Wharf on the Otago Peninsula.
You’ll travel out through the Otago Harbour to the world’s only mainland colony of royal albatross. Have your camera ready as these huge birds soar in from sea, flying past a historic lighthouse as they return to their hillside nests….

Location
813 Harington Point Road
Harington Point Road
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(148 Ratings)
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1 star
C8680rfpaulh
Sep 13, 2024
Great trip and great value for money. - Booked this trip based on a promise of seeing a Royal Albatross amongst other bird and wildlife. This turned out to be an excellent choice. During the one hour cruise we saw juvenile albatross on the shore and were treated by Royal Albatross and Bullers Albatross very close to the boat. The skipper Nigel gave excellent guidance and information during the entire trip. Binoculars and cold weather jackets are provided on the trip. The drive to the set off point is also very scenic. Would recommend this to anybody visiting Dunedin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenny
Aug 30, 2024
Albatross viewing from a boat and more - Friendly staff. Warm coats provided. Saw so many albatross up close, all four types as well as giant and storm petrels. Also fur seals with pups on the beach. A wonderful experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lachlantm
Aug 21, 2024
Brilliant wildlife cruise - Wonderful hour-long wildlife cruise. Great commentary by the crew on everything we could see - spotted fur seals, 4 species of albatross, Otago Shags, giant Petrels and Hector and Dusky dolphins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hamish
Aug 15, 2024
Great views and great commentary - Great wild life cruise/ tour. Ship nice and roomy with Great out side area for photos. Crew had great commentary from the captain really helpful pointing every one to the wild life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kdonoghue1964
Jul 31, 2024
Great experience - Amazing experience. Staff was friendly, super helpful spotting wildlife. Saw lots of Albatross, blue penguins and seals. I would highly recommend this cruise. Thanks from Australia
Review provided by Tripadvisor
358nickyf
Jul 17, 2024
Fantastic! - We had an awesome time on the Monarch wildlife cruise yesterday. Fantastic crew who were really informative with safety and commentary. We saw lots of albatross, seals and seal lions - the kids loved it. Highly recommend :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julianne_k
Jun 29, 2024
Great spot - The scenery is fantastic. The Crew were great the weather not so much but it brought the birds out. The commentary was informative with out being too much
Review provided by Viator
Barbdave2017
May 1, 2024
Excellent wildlife cruise - Fantastic, friendly and informative cruise. We were lucky to see Albatross nesting on the cliff. We also were able to cruise alongside several albatross sitting nearby at sea. Absolutely beautiful conditions to view such amazing birds. So pleased we did the Monarch Wildlife Cruise. Well worth it. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Happiness53067208409
Apr 20, 2024
Wild and exciting no matter what the weather - It was a cool wet day but the trip was amazing... the gear provided to keep you warm and dry was excellent... the binoculars and crew support to ensure you saw as much as possible was exceptional! Our UK family were as excited as we were to experience the feeding frenzy of so many seabirds, and the stunning up-close views of so many variety of albatross. We would thoroughly recommend the one-hour wildlife cruise as being excellent value for money, and never again be discouraged by a southerly squall prediction - the weather added to the whole experience!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Valley4681
Apr 18, 2024
Informative cruise - Captain of the boat provided an excellent narrative of the wildlife on the trip. Clearly enthusiastic and informative. Only issue was boat was a little crowded due to excellent weather so movement around the boat was not possible.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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