Otago Harbour Wildlife Cruise: Experience New Zealand's Nature Capital in Dunedin

Embark on an invigorating wildlife cruise in Dunedin’s Otago Harbour. Discover New Zealand’s Nature Capital and encounter albatross, fur seals, dolphins, and more. Book now!

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Taiaroa Head - You’ll cruise around the beautiful Taiaroa Head. Enjoy the postcard views of the historic lighthouse and spot Royal Albatross and NZ Fur Seals
  • Otago Harbour - See the stunning Otago Harbour. Explore the beautiful bays, islands and fishing villages along the way.
  • Port Chalmers - Shuttle between the cruise terminal and our wharf
What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
  • Complimentary binoculars
  • Complimentary warm and waterproof jackets
  • Wildlife spotters guide
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Come join us in experiencing a refreshing wildlife cruise adventure. By the end of your journey, you’ll understand why Dunedin is recognized as New Zealand’s Nature Capital.
Our excursion will take you around scenic docks and boat houses, followed by a visit to the historical Quarantine Islands. We’ll visit the Careys Bay fishing settlement, showcasing a…

Location
Port Chalmers Cruise Terminal
Beach Street
You'll be picked up from the 'Private Tours Area' in the Port Chalmers Cruise Terminal. Look for our guide holding a MONARCH sign.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.4
(16 Ratings)
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1 star
Shirley_m
Mar 10, 2025
Very friendly crew. ... - Very friendly crew. Prompt pickup from the cruise terminal and very easy to locate. On board they have binoculars and jackets if you get cold. We saw the white capped albatross, seals and various other wildlife.
Review provided by Viator
Brooke_s
Mar 7, 2025
Wonderful day - We learned a lot on this trip and saw some rare birds (king cormorant and albatross), in addition to seals, a dolphin, and many nesting birds. Great commentary and history. It was a beautiful day. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Denise_h
Jan 8, 2025
Interesting and well organised tour - We enjoyed this boat tour and the commentary was very good. We saw New Zealand fur seals and albatrosses at the rookery and in flight, plus several other species of sea birds. The day we went was cold and rainy (not unexpected in Port Chalmers!) so we appreciated the additional warm jackets that were supplied and a hot cuppa on board.
Review provided by Viator
Linda_b
Dec 30, 2024
Birds galore! - This was a small group experience which allows for good interaction with the staff. We were given a fleece/raincoat due to misty weather which allowed us to sit outside for a better view. We saw many varieties of birds. Seeing several Albatross in flight was amazing. We saw baby fur seals and a sea lion. The trip exceeded our expectations. Will was an excellent guide!
Review provided by Viator
Monika_t
Dec 16, 2024
Great boat trip - Great boat trip around the harbour, thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw lots of birdlife, fur seals and several flying albatrosses close up.
Review provided by Viator
Deborah_m
Mar 30, 2024
Harbor Birds Everywhere !! - Great day for a harbor cruise ! The captian & mate were very friendly and relayed lots of info regarding the wildlife through out the harbor. They even served us tea & cookies !! Great views of seals, birds and beauty ! Not too long, left us enough time to explore the town.
Review provided by Viator
Angela_r
May 6, 2024
Great way to spend a morning in Port Chalmers - A lovely vessel and was a lovely morning for a cruise in the harbour. Unfortunately there was a storm the night before so there was a big swell and we were not able to head further out to sea. We did see a couple of penguins, seals on the rocks and a dolphin.
Review provided by Viator
Florence_p
Mar 19, 2025
The tour was prompt for... - The tour was prompt for pickup at the cruise terminal. The boat was clean and the guides were friendly. However, we had expectations to get closer to wildlife to get photographs. We saw an albatross floating in the water and got close enough to photograph. But, we were too far away from the rocks with sea lions to get any decent photos.
Review provided by Viator
Briantr8685nh
Feb 21, 2025
little underwhelming - only saw 4 animals so a little disappointing. Sea was very rough and we needed to hold on tight. The scenery was good but spoilt by the mist
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Downsizing09
Jan 6, 2025
Not worth it. - This tour was not worth my time or the money. They only cruised out to where they knew there were seals and albatrosses. But seeing a couple of dark colour seals on black rock from a distance is hard. They did not go out looking for dolphins outside the cove. Other wildlife cruises did and did find dolphins. It is only 2 hours including the time to go out of the out edge of the bay/cove. Most of the time was spent going out to the lighthouse and back. Find a different tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $69
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).