Join us for an unforgettable cruising adventure and discover the very best of the Bay of Islands!
Both stunningly beautiful and historically significant, this spectacular haven draws visitors from around the world, showcasing the breathtaking beauty of the Bay of Islands and its diverse wildlife in their natural surroundings.
Sit back and relax as we cruise among the 144 islands with the skipper's expert commentary, including a visit to the famous Hole in the Rock and when conditions allow, travel through it!
Our trips boast a high success rate for wildlife viewing and is your best chance to encounter these amazing mammals, as we are one of only 2 operators with a marine mammal permit!
We will also stop off at the stunning Otehei Bay Urupukapuka Island which is considered by some as the most beautiful island within the Bay. Here you will have some free time to swim, explore or relax with a bite to eat from our licensed café (at own expense).
Location: Paihia, Bay Of Islands.
I understand companies should not chase mammals but it will be fair/transparent to customers if Explore Group changes/removes the marketing campaign where it says it is included Dolphin and Whale watching. (Unfortunately, it was the main reason we decided to do this cruise) . We visit the Hole in the rock but we did not go through it either. We stopped in the Urupukapuka island but the experience we had it could be easily matched buying a ferry ticket to the island and saving 70% of the cost we paid for 4 adults. It is very disappointed to pay $460 dollars and obtain a similar service to the ferry transport that we could get for $36 dollars per person.
Total Shame.... This was one of the worst experience which our complete group did because no dolphins were spotted and when I requested the duty manager regarding giving a exchange voucher then he refused and because of weather the hole in the rock was not done which was again a negative point. Basically we wasted our money....
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Vicki Miles from New Zealand wrote on 11 July 2021
Best experience
Wow! From the moment we stepped on the boat been greeted personally by the captain and crew until we were farewelled by them, we were 100% satisfied. The Captain and his crew did a great job informing us of the history and keeping us amused. We were able to cruise through the hole in the rock and saw a pod of dolphins up close. We definitely got our money’s worth!! We stopped at Otehei Bay for lunch. It was winter time so the menu was very limited. Good coffee but I would suggest taking your own lunch if deep fried items are not to your liking. Highly recommend and we would go again.