Wildlife and Penguin Tour: New Zealand Adventure

Explore New Zealand’s wildlife on a guided tour. Meet penguins, seals, and more while supporting conservation efforts. Book your adventure today.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance - Our Wildlife & Penguin tour provides a unique opportunity in New Zealand to observe the endangered yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) in their natural environment.
    This 90-minute guided tour is divided into three segments. Participants start their journey in a theatre setting, where they gain insights into…
What's Included
  • Use of high quality binoculars
  • Guide
  • Complimentary waterproof jackets
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

Join us for a unique experience in New Zealand with our guided Wildlife and Penguin Tour.

Discover penguins, fur seals, sea lions, shore and land birds, native fauna, and more within our private reserve. By participating in a tour, you are supporting our efforts, as tour operations directly contribute to the conservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and education programs at The OPERA.

Location
45 Pakihau Road
Pakihau Road
Please check in at reception.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(15 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Heinzs791
Apr 23, 2025
Very informative - very interesting - OPERA is definitely worth a visit! It shows very well how the yellow-eyed penguins are cared for and protected. The visit includes a trip to the beach with the nest boxes. The guides have a great deal of expertise and convey a lot of valuable information. One thing you need to know: it is rather unlikely to see free-living penguins during the tour. In the closed care report, however, safe.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ellengwynn
Mar 17, 2025
Fantastic Tour of The OPERA - What a wonderful place. Easy to find, well marked on the road, so that is always nice, oh, good parking as well, in fact, there are even a few picnic benches too. Our guide was excellent, and we saw yellow penguins (molting, so laying down) crested penguins, for real, we saw seals and sea lions, and some fan tail birds. Beautiful scenery, easy walking, and the weather was great. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Candice_t
Feb 26, 2025
The Hoiho are so very... - The Hoiho are so very special and what you learn and experience here at OPERA is heart warming and beautiful. I want to donate my life to this project, if I could.
Review provided by Viator
Passport14022044750
Feb 22, 2025
The Opera Wildlife Reserve - During my cruise stop in Dunedin, I visited the Otago Peninsula Wildlife Reserve, and it was an unforgettable experience. The stunning landscapes, beautiful beaches, and incredible wildlife, including rare yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions, and fur seals, made it the highlight of my trip. The knowledgeable and friendly staff provided an excellent tour, making the visit even more special. If you’re in Dunedin, this reserve is a must-see!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nobby-nobb
Feb 16, 2025
Great afternoon! - Great afternoon learning about the work the team do at Opera do with the opportunity to see the wildlife of the surrounding area first hand. Thanks to Siobhan for the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jo_w
Jan 23, 2025
All elements of experience fantastic - Great variety of experiences with wonderful staff who were friendly, approachable and informative. Such a highlight to see wildlife up close and the yellow eyed penguin at the Rehabilitation Centre.
Review provided by Viator
Spcurly
Jan 18, 2025
Memorable experience! - A wonderful tour! We travelled as a group of 12 - and had ages from 7-69. All of us enjoyed the experience. The guides were informative and kept us updated. We loved seeing the fur seal colonies and hearing about the restoration occurring in the area to support the return of the yellow-eyed penguin to the area. The rehab centre was incredible. Well worth the trip to get here. We had this tour included as part of a tour run by TourWorks - a 7 hour extended tour. Would recommend this tour too!!! We aware that there is some walking on uneven ground, and some stairs. You may need some level of fitness to participate.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A8542bcsarahw
Jan 5, 2025
Family friendly experience - We had a fantastic tour with guide Rosie, seeing blue penguins and lots of seals in the wild and then visiting the rehabilitation centre to see baby penguins and the yellow eyed penguins. I took my two young kids (aged 5 and 8) who really enjoyed the experience and came away wanting to set up their own conservation project for wind swept ladybirds they found on the beach! Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeff_s
Jan 31, 2025
It’s just ok. Too much time for very little to see. - Not much to see expect for a few pingouins in recovery behind the fence. Saw a couple of seals, barely one pingouin very far away. Beautiful drive to the sanctuary.
Review provided by Viator
Jeroen
Jan 30, 2025
Nice visit, but not for wild penguins - The introduction talk was well told. The walk was a bit disappointing and resembled many of the other beaches in the area. Disappointing was that, contrary to advertised, we did not go through the trenches because there were seals somewhere else (and the other visitors were very interested in that so we stayed there for a very long time). As a result, we ourselves felt that we had not made the most of our time. We ended with a visit to the shelter. Good work they do and nice to see, but it is comparable to a zoo. If you want to see penguins you can do so here, but the chances of seeing wild penguins in their natural environment are very small. The tour is also offered during the day while wild penguins are mainly to be spotted around sunrise and sunset.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $38
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).