Monarch Wildlife Cruise: Explore Otago Harbour’s Albatross Colony
4.7
138 Ratings
Otakou
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:
1 day
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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.
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. The skipper will expertly maneuver the boat close to rocky outcrops for great views of the local fur seal population. A short way out to sea and you’ll see other albatross and seabird species. Our cruises also frequently spot blue penguins, sea lions and occasionally dolphins!
The crew will provide a full commentary during your cruise about the local history, scenery and wildlife spotted along the way.
Don’t be put off by cool & windy weather. These are often the best conditions for wildlife viewing. Especially when it comes to albatross, they love a brisk southerly wind. Binoculars and warm jackets are provided during your cruise.
- Contact us if you are concerned about mobility or in a wheelchair
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
(138 Ratings)
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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
Artimyss
Apr 7, 2024
A Unique Perspective of Otago Peninsula - Amazing experience, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Got to see many toroa/albatross species, and the Pukekura Northern Royal Albatross breeding colony from the sea. Also saw lots of other sea birds like petrels and shags. Also got to see a huge pod of dusky dolphins come around the boat which was incredible.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
783libbym
Apr 4, 2024
Thanks so much! - What an amazing experience! Saw albatrosses, petrels, fur seals, dusky dolphins and loads of gulls! The only bad part of the tour is that it had to end! Thank you so much to the amazing Monarch team for the awesome tour as well as the guide for all the interesting information and wildlife spotting. I'm counting down the days until I can go again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pauline_b
Mar 25, 2024
Excellent chance to view the wildlife - A great experience. Then providing binoculars was brilliant. We saw the albatross both from a distance sitting on the cliff and soaring overhead. One even sat on the water within a few feet of the boat. I would definitely recommend
Review provided by Viator
Dennis_h
Mar 21, 2024
Breath taking Albatross encounters - The Monarch boat tour was exceptionally well organised with very good commentary provided by the skipper. The skipper knew exactly where to take us to see the Albatross and he was able to get us close enough to photograph them on the water and in flight. He was also quick to point out dolphins, seals a sea lions as well as other varieties of seabirds. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this tour and highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Kerrig422
Mar 16, 2024
Absolutely worthwhile experience - It was fantastic, great commentary, diverse wildlife. It was a very beautiful area to see some amazing wild animals in their natural environment
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kalilah2024
Mar 10, 2024
Wonderful way to see wildlife - We loved going on this short cruise! You get binoculars onboard, which is great for getting a close look at the wildlife. It was fun to be out on the water, and we saw seals, albatross, and shags. The captain was great—informative and very fun. Definitely recommend if you're out on the Otago Peninsula.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aumeca
Mar 6, 2024
Nice - A nice cruise to discover the wildlife around Dunedin: several species of birds, seals, etc. Equipped with binoculars to observe them from afar.
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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