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 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
189 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Captain Rachel is the best!
Joan W,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Captain Rachel was awesome! She was exceptionally skilled and although we had rough conditions - she kept us comfortable! We saw everything we set out for especially the Royal Albatross!
Albatross Frenzy!
Graham L,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A sea life cruise of immense quality passionately created by Rachel McGregor. Her skill, knowledge and presentation made this the stand out highlight of our New Zealand Princess cruise. We were fortunate enough to witness close up, 4 types of Albatrosses, seals, dolphins, sea lions and a plethora of other sea birds. We were fortunate to encounter a fishing boat discarding scraps which resulted in dozens of Albatrosses to be viewed at extremely close quarters. A breathtaking and unforgettable experience. Rachel provided interesting commentary throughout and presented us with a check list sheet illustrating every bird or mammal we saw. Just can’t rate the experience highly enough!
Fabulous Tour
AmandaUK,,Dec 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Might be a bit choppy, depending on the wind. We were lucky, only light winds We had a most splendid trip with Rachael who was highly knowledgeable and we managed to see loads of variety of birds. Amazing trip...thank you.
Great experience with...
WILLIAM D,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience with excellent informative host who was friendly and made us feel very welcome. Recommended
Great experience
Linda C,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very informative, great scenery, birdlife and fur seals. Guide was excellent and knew all about birds and seals. We even saw a Royal Albatross .
We were not so lucky, we...
Ben R,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00We were not so lucky, we just saw a few birds, seals, etc., although the weather was fine. We did similar cruises in Tasmania and saw hundreds of birds, seals, even a few whales.
Definitely worth doing
Sue H,,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Rachel was very knowledgeable and pointed out the various seabirds and wildlife that we saw. It was great to see the albatrosses flying above us. It was a great trip and very good value for money.
Fun boat ride with a very...
Denise G,,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Fun boat ride with a very informed capable captain. Thank you for pointing out the wildlife and the historic features of the area.
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.
From NZ$170.00
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Operated by Port To Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours Ltd