Albatross, seals, and sea birds-Wildlife Cruise
Overview
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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‘s Included
Experienced guides
Use of high quality binoculars for adults.
Small-group tours
Live commentary on board
Wildlife Identification sheet provided
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
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.
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
181 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The staff were fantastic...
Deirdre P,
Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The staff were fantastic and very supportive of people with disabilities. I would highly recommend if you are coming to Dunedin take this tour. We were lucky to see albatross and some dolphins.
Fantastic Tour!!
EM AJM20,
Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was without doubt our best boat ride yet! Rachel is brilliant and so welcoming and knowledgable! We were fortunate to be the only ones on the trip so we had our own private tour 😝 we saw two albatross, may other sea birds, seals and sea lions! The sea lions even came over to say hello! 100% recommend this tour.
Incredible Experience
jillw41,
Jul 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a talented, knowledgeable and passionate skipper is Rachel who gave a full commentary along the way. There was nothing she didn't know about Otago Harbour. On the wildlife cruise we were treated to seeing penguins swimming in the harbour, albatross swimming right up to the boat, seals and a lot of other sea birds. We also travelled with her on her Stadium Ferry ride from Portobello to see the Allblacks at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Keep up the amazing job you are doing Rachel!
Close encounters with wildlife thanks to an exceptional guide/skipper
Ms GMS 2019,
Jul 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rachel made this an exceptional experience, with her warm welcome, and her deep knowledge of the harbour and the wide array of wildlife that live there. She skilfully identified a wide array of animals along the way, very carefully positioning the boat to allow us to get a very close look birds in the water and on the cliffs, as well as seals and sea lions on the shore. Wonderful.
Enjoyable but pricey
george w,
May 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Very knowledgeable guide, the 90 minutes go very quickly. Beautiful to see the Albatross in flight, quite expensive for what is basically a harbour cruise with fleeting wildlife sightings
Won't do this again
DennisL W,
Apr 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00In 30 years of cruising, this was probably the worst shore excursion that we have ever booked. The tour consisted of a 30 minute high speed boat ride across a bay on a too small boat populated by too many people, and a PA system that was useless. Next we spent 30 minutes looking for wildlife, of which we saw 2 seals, one sea lion, and very little anything else. No Albatross. We saw more shore fishermen than wildlife (maybe they count). This was followed by a 30 minute high speed boat ride back to our starting point - on the too small boat with too many people.
Racheal very...
LGould L,
Apr 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Racheal very knowledgeable and took us to see albatross, seals and other wildlife. Small tour very gd thank you x for the cookies x
Excellent excursion!
Susan R,
Apr 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great short excursion. Got to see seals and many bird species, especially many albatrosses. Our guide pilot was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable. She got us in close to rock formations with adults and baby seals. Excellent narrations
We saw the swooping Albatrosses and NZ fur seals. Great outing worth the money.
irma f,
Mar 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing experience in the bay with Rachel our skipper so competent and knowledgeable I will fo it again one day
The wildlife is not to be missed!
Jonathan T,
Mar 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an awesome experience made even more awesome. By our tour guide Rachel, her knowledge of the wildlife, and the birds all around the waterway that she took us through a second to none. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to learn about the unique wildlife in around Port Chalmers especially those with young children. Thank you Rachel for an enjoyable time.
From NZ$170.00
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Operated by Port To Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours Ltd