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Dolphin Eco Cruise

4.3
259
Take in the breath-taking natural beauty of the Bay of Island and its abundant wildlife!

Take in the breath-taking natural beauty of the Bay of Island and its abundant wildlife!

Highlights

  • Enjoy a scenic cruise, with views of the incredible dolphins and marine life
  • Learn about Project Island Song’s ecological restoration programme
  • Stop at Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island for lunch
  • Friendly and knowledgeable hosts will make sure you get the most out of the experience
  • Marine mammal viewing Guarantee (12 months )

Cruise the sheltered waters of the Bay of Islands and discover whales, dolphins, seals, birdlife and more on this spectacular dolphin eco cruise!

Enjoy a stop at Otehei Bay on the Department of Conservation’s recreation reserve Urupukapuka Island, where you will learn about the natural ecosystems being restored as part of the Project Island Song programme including revegetation, native species reintroduction, education and biosecurity.

Explore the island via the established tracks and spot reintroduced native wildlife including tīeke (North Island saddleback), toutouwai (North Island robin), pāteke (brown teal), Wētāpunga (giant wētā) and more.

Make the most of the day with the opportunity to snorkel and swim, if conditions permit, or enjoy a bite to eat in the sun and relax at the fully licensed café at Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island.

Adult $160.00
Child $80.00 (5-15 years old)
Infant $0.00 (0 - 4 years)

What's included

  • 4 hours of scenic cruising with wildlife spotting
  • 1.5 hours at Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island
  • Opportunity to snorkel/swim (conditions permitting)

Duration

  • Allow approx. 5.5 hours for the whole experience

Location

  • Paihia Wharf, Bay of Islands

Child Friendly

  • This experience welcomes families with children.

Bad Weather Refunds

  • If your experience is cancelled by the operator (because of the bad weather, safety concerns, unscheduled maintenance etc) you will be entitled to a full refund.

Notes

  • Children under 5 years old are free but must be booked - please put in notes that a infant is traveling .

    Please note the opportunity to swim/snorkel does not include swimming with dolphins due to restrictions on marine mammal interactions.

    Explore has a license permitting marine mammal viewing during this experience.

    This cruise does not include lunch, however light snacks and drinks are available for purchase onboard. Lunch is available to purchase from the fully licensed caf at Otehei Bay during your island stop.

Available Bookings from 11 May to 24 May 2025

Change Dates

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Sun 11 May
Mon 12 May
Tue 13 May
Wed 14 May
Thu 15 May
Fri 16 May
Sat 17 May
Sun 18 May
Mon 19 May
Tue 20 May
Wed 21 May
Thu 22 May
Fri 23 May
Sat 24 May

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

4.3

259 reviews

Showing all 259 authenticated Bookme reviews

eevaabee from New Zealand wrote on 06 April 2025

Lovely and varied day trip

We got lucky and saw a group of playful dolphins! Amazing! Besides I really enjoyed the trip. First we went on a bigger boat to an island. We had 1.5 hours to walk around there. Beautiful place, do that and stretch your legs! You also have time to swim. Then we went on board of the Dolphin Eco Cruise. The captain was not only a good sailor, he was also a very entertaining and informative tour guide who told us all about the area and marine life in a very nice way. All in all I feel very content about the day. Thanks crew!

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beckyc14 from New Zealand wrote on 03 March 2025

Great and fun experience

We were lucky and saw dolphins early on which meant there was more time to travel round and even for a quick dip in the sea! The 3 person crew were lovely and very knowledgeable. There was a bit of confusion when getting picked up after our 1hr(ish) stay on the island - we almost got back on the wrong boat! Some clearer signs and indication from staff about where the boats were going would have helped.

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orih from New Zealand wrote on 18 January 2025

Recommended

Wonderful experience for all the family

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kanwal from New Zealand wrote on 13 January 2025

Dolphin Eco Cruise

It was great till the island stopover. The second cruise after stopover was too fast to enjoy, not good for people with motion sickness. Barely saw dolphin near the end of the cruise time. Too cold and cruise engine was very noisy

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Megan Turner from New Zealand wrote on 02 January 2025

Great experience

A bit sad we saw no dolphins - but we did manage a little glimpse of a Brydes whale and the crew members were amazing. Great day out with the family!

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Qualmark Certification

This award identifies a business with a high level of professionalism, a keen awareness of the impact it has on the environment and a commitment to a customer centric approach.

This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.

This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.

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