Albatross, seals, and sea birds-Wildlife Cruise
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Small group tours, by Otago Harbour's most experienced skipper/guide!
You wont find a wildlife guide with more experience on Otago harbour then owner/operator Rachel McGregor. She has had 20 +years experience skippering/guiding/operating commercial vessels on Otago Harbour, including dredger, coastguard, harbourmaster and more.
Modern, comfortable, safe, fast and custom built boat.
Approx 1.5 hours -2 hours in duration.
-Fully commentated.
-Quality binoculars provided.
-We pass by the historic Quarantine Stations and old shipwrecks.
-See and learn about the fishing boats, workboats, dredges and ships as we pass Port Chalmers and Careys Bay.
-Look for albatross, penguins, seals, sea lions, sea birds, marine mammals and more as we cruise past roosting, breeding and feeding areas.
-See/learn about the historic pilots houses, search light and gun emplacements and the old whaling stations.
-Cruise around Taiaroa Head, Nature reserve.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please be aware there could be sea spray at times, please dress warmly, just incase.
Please wear a facemask if you have been recently unwell.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Port To Port Cruises and Wildife Tours
Small group tours, fast custom built vessel. Comfortable, warm, enclosed cabin, or open outer deck. On our tour..... -Approx. 2 hours duration, if joining from Portobello. Or 1.5 hours if joining from Port Chalmers by default, unless specified. -Fully commentated. -Travel from the most scenic part of the harbor, pass by the historic Quarantine Stations and old shipwrecks. -See and learn about the fishing boats, workboats, dredges and ships as we pass Port Chalmers and Careys Bay. -View wading birds and look for penguins sea lions and shags as we cruise past roosting and feeding areas. -See/learn about the historic pilots houses, search light and gun emplacements and the old whaling stations. -Take the time to cruise around Taiaroa Head, exploring the shallow bays to view fur seals and nesting colonies of shags, albatross, sea birds, marine mammals such as dolphins and more. Usual departure times are 10am, 1:15pm, 4:00pm. Please advise which times you'd prefer.
What‘s Included
Experienced guides
Use of high quality binoculars for adults.
Small-group tours
Live commentary on board
Wildlife Identification sheet provided
Pickup points
Portobello Wharf
Port Chalmers (Back Beach)
Options
Portobello Departure
Duration: 2 hours: Albatross Wildlife and Harbour Cruise, departing from Portobello. 837 Portobello Road, Otago Peninsula.
Starting point:
837 Portobello Road, Portobello, Dunedin 9014, New Zealand
Pickup included
Port Chalmers Departure
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes: Albatross Wildlife and Harbour cruise, starts and finishes at Port Chalmers. 5 minutes walk from cruise terminal building.
Starting point:
39 Peninsula Beach Road, Port Chalmers, Dunedin 9023, New Zealand
Pickup included
Reviews
200 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Not quite a wildlife tour
Susan H,Mar 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00It is a bit difficult to find the specific dock. Since one of us has mobility issues, it was difficult getting in and out of the boat. A very pleasant ride. Don’t expect to see more than sea birds, seals, and sn albatross or two.
Fantastic Birder's Cruise
695kristinel,Feb 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful experience cruising the harbor with Rachel! To begin with, communication was excellent. I booked very far in advance, and she let me know that she had me down, but needed to wait for more bookings to guarantee that the cruise would go. The weeks ticked by and finally about three weeks out, I got another email confirming my reservation. At this point, I received detailed directions for finding the dock from the cruise port. It is an easy 5 minute walk on a flat path. There are public restrooms right by the dock to use before embarking. There is not a toilet on the boat. We left exactly on the dot of the promised time, so make sure you are there a few minutes early. Binoculars were provided (although if you are picky, bring your own, I thought mine were better) and a page with photos to id the various wildlife we saw. Rachel did a great job finding birds and seals, and then kept the boat by them long enough for everyone to look their fill. The whole time, she kept up commentary on what were seeing, and some of the history of the area. The harbor itself is beautiful, and it was great to see all the birds - including little blue penguins just swimming along! While we did see, quite up close, a whole bunch of fur seals, for the most part this was a birder's outing. I'm not sure it would be the best fit for excitable children as the boat is compact and really you're just riding along and looking at birds. We had about 10 people onboard, all adults, and everyone was very happy with how the morning went. We returned to the dock exactly on time, and Rachel provided suggestions for next things to see or do. There is a lovely little gravel path right from the dock if you want to spend more time looking at the harbor. Overall a lovely way to spend the morning and highly recommended!
Rachel is a one man show- perfection!
sheree K,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Rachel is the boat captain, the navigator, the tour guide with a wealth of information at her disposal. Allows everyone to move about, take pictures. Use the boats’ binoculars and provides a document on all that you will see and track wildlife and then to keep. Amazing tour in just the perfect amount of time. OH! That’s not all- she provided delicious biscuits so you have a sweet snack on board as well.
Rachel was great! Great...
Alyssa C,Feb 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Rachel was great! Great experience. We took an 2.5 year old and she was well prepared and equipped for that as well, with a set of kids binoculars, a stuffie for her to hold onto case she was nervous and also a life jacket sized properly for her. She knows the area very well and was an exceptional host. She was great with all the passengers, showed us all the important places and wildlife and was amazing!
Great on water wildlife experience
K1843SNpeterm,Feb 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent way to see Dunedin harbour and Rachel was brilliant at finding wildlife and extremely knowledgeable and a great host. Saw albatross, seals, penguins and much more.
Great tour.
Debbie F,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Rachel was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife and the location history. Great personality and welcoming to everyone. Hung around long enough to see two Royal Albatross in flight!
Excellent wildlife tour and port to port taxi ride. Strongly recommended.
ZikitV,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did Rachel's tour and port to port taxi ride with our bikes. Rachel is a superb guide and boat captain, with a wealth of knowledge and patience. Both the tour and the taxi ride were excellent. Strongly recommended.
Great Tour
Lindy S,Feb 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great Tour. Small and personal. Rachel really knows her wildlife, the harbour and her boat. We saw Albatross, fur seals, black capped terns, spoonfuls, and shags. The Anzac Biscuits were a bonus. Highly recommend.
Unique experience - orcas right next to the boat
Christoph B,Feb 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a unique experience. Right at the start of the cruise we were able to observe two orcas very close to our boat, great. Later there were dolphins and some majestic albatrosses to admire in flight. Rachel was a super guide with lots of explanations. Just great!
Plentiful albatross- fun journey.
Mike G,Feb 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rachel did an excellent job guiding us through the harbor and describing all the birds and various animals. She provided constant and on point commentary. She was very professional and we enjoyed the journey. It was very nice that she picked us up at Back Beach - a short walk from Port Chalmers cruise terminal.
From NZ$170.00
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Operated by Port To Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours Ltd