Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise in Tauranga: A Half Day Exploration of Marine Biodiversity

Embark on a half-day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise in Tauranga and explore the diverse marine biodiversity of the Bay of Plenty. Get up close to dolphins, penguins, seals, whales, and more!

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Bay Explorer - Dolphin and Wildlife Cruises - Our Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise offers an authentic Kiwi experience amidst nature—a tale of human fascination with marine life. Join us in exploring the wonders of dolphins and more. We limit passengers for comfort, ensuring a personal touch, ideal for families.
    Your half-day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise…
What's Included
  • Half-day cruise aboard an 18m spacious vessel with panoramic views.
  • Encounters with wildlife including penguins, seals, and whales.
  • Educational commentary on the Bay and marine life.
  • Comfortable seating options both indoors and on the sun-deck.
  • Experienced and friendly Bay Explorer Crew.
  • Capture memorable photos with diverse marine life.
  • Explore some of New Zealand’s richest marine diversity.
What's Not Included
  • Pick Up & Return Transfer (Optional)
  • Lunch Box (Optional)
  • Cold beer and chilled regional wines from our licenced bar and non-alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

Embark on a Half Day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise aboard the Bay Explorer, departing from the Tauranga waterfront jetty. Discover the stunning Bay of Plenty coastline, where a diverse array of marine wildlife awaits, including dolphins that swim alongside the vessel. Witness seasonal seabirds, penguins, seals, whales, sunfish, schools of fish, sharks,…

Location
120 The Strand
The Strand
Departure Point: 120 The Strand, Tauranga (Waterfront Jetty across from Starbucks Cafe) Check in is between 8.30am amd 8.45am Return point: Returns to original departure point .
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(106 Ratings)
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1 star
Patricia_b
Feb 24, 2026
Orcas in the Wild! Wow!! - Our adventure on the sea in Tauranga was a once in a lifetime experience. We had spectacular views of Orca adults and young and scores of dolphins in close proximity. Great commentary. Wonderful trip.
Review provided by Viator
Davidaf1449rt
Jan 31, 2026
Wonderful cruise,with wonderful weather,crew & fellow passengers - Had a truly wonderful time on the half day dolphin & wildlife cruise,the crew were great made you feel very welcome they were knowledgeable and did a great job leading us to a hammer head shark a sun fish and lots & lots of amazing dolphins made all the the better with glorious weather and calm seas 🌊 and to cap it all off the crew including Taylor let me take the helm at the bridge from around 8 miles out & encouraged me to take her home right into the Harbour to the water front jetty where we set off from,was just a wonderful wonderful fantastic day thank you so much.Best wishes David.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
812krissyk
Jan 27, 2026
All the dolphins! - Well run, an awesome experience. If you haven't seen dolphins in the wild, it is magical and inspiring. We saw a small pod of 7 and then a big pod of 20-30. Well worth the price. What you get on any given day may be a bit down to luck, but they do their best to show you the best, and that's what counts.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nemo2329
Jan 26, 2026
Awesome Trip - Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. Facilities were great and very clean. We spent quite a long time with a pod of dolphins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
375fannif
Jan 9, 2026
Many many dolphins - Friendly knowledgable crew and an amazing day with the dolphins. Would recommend if you don’t want to swim with them. The bar was excellent too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deborahjx7395ib
Jan 8, 2026
Heartwarming experience - Well worth the price paid for the overall experience! We saw so many dolphins including babies! So so cute ☺️ we had around an hour on the water with the dolphins swimming and playing around the boat. Exceptional crew, super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mitchell_b
Jan 8, 2026
Great experience! The... - Great experience! The crew were really friendly and super knowledgeable. Managed to see Sharks, Dolphins & penguins while on the tour as well as a great view of Tauranga, Mt Maunganui and Karewa. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Micheleww6693jb
Jan 7, 2026
Best Dolphin Cruise Ever! - Our family took the Dolphin and Wildlife cruise and absolutely loved it! We saw over 50 dolphins in a large pod. We watched dolphins with their young swimming, jumping and playing for an hour. We also saw lots of penguins, sunfish and one shark. It's a must do trip if in the area. The staff were great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee02819594168
Jan 6, 2026
10 out of 10 kind of day - What a fabulous trip, we saw penguins, a couple pods of dolphins and lots of different seabirds. The staff were extremely knowledgeable, helpful and patient. The skipper Jamie even let my 9 year old niece steer the boat. I am a return customer who will undoubtedly be back again. 10 out of 10 recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul882
Feb 4, 2026
No Plan B! - In a little over 5 hours of cruising the Bay of Plenty, we saw a small hammerhead shark, two small sunfish, and lots of seabirds. We didn’t see any dolphins, whales, seals, orca, penguins or turtles as advertised. The skipper apologised several times and offered compensation in the form of a free return cruise to be taken within 12 months. This is of no value to international visitors like us who won’t be returning to NZ any time soon and it’s highly unlikely that any of the local residents will risk spending another 5 hours cruising the bay in the hope of seeing some wildlife. To be honest, I would have been content with some free drinks and nibbles on the long, uneventful journey back to port instead of this obviously empty gesture. There's no Plan B on this cruise. If you don't see dolphins or whales it’s a long, boring trip. A few days later, we went on a similar cruise at Paihia in the Bay of Islands, which was far superior. Modern comfortable ship, good cafeteria/bar service, magnificent scenery AND dolphins! In addition, we had excellent commentary on the environment, wildlife, history and cultural significance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $103
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).