Carino Wildlife Cruises - Island and Wildlife Day Cruise

Overview

Available languages

English

6 hours

Mobile ticket

By cruising with us and you are helping to protect our wild dolphins!

A portion of every fare contributes directly to marine mammal conservation and to our children's marine education program Protect the future

We are a small, local family owned and operated wildlife cruise. Join us on our marine wildlife conservation vessel.

On board help to set sails or sit back and relax.Time to take a deep breath and unwind.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Not Recommended for children under 4yrs old

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Simple BBQ Lunch

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Coffee and/or Tea

Alcoholic Beverages

Soda/Pop

What To Expect

Experience with us and help protect our wild dolphins! Come sailing with us and discover the stunning scenery and amazing wildlife of the beautiful bay of islands. Help to set sails, sit back and relax as the sails catch the breeze, surrounded by deep blue water, vivid green islands and diverse wildlife, sailing on Carino NZ our 50ft catamaran is the best way to experience the stunning bay of islands. Watch wild dolphins in their ocean habitat. We are only yacht licensed to view wild dolphins in the Bay. We are conscious of the need to protect the dolphins and respect their habitat. Interaction with the dolphins is at the dolphins’ invitation. A portion of every fare contributes directly to marine mammal conservation – Protect the future While we are sailing, watch for our local little blue penguins, the world’s smallest penguin, our crazy diving gannets, and other ocean birds. An island stop is included, where you get to explore a historic scenic island and snorkel the beach. Includes Kiwi style bbq lunch aboard Carino NZ.

Options

Carino Wildlife Cruises - Island and Wildlife Day Cruise

Reviews

4.90

42 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fabulous friendly staff!...
Stephan A,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Fabulous friendly staff! Very knowledgeable about local fauna and history. Great barbie lunch with delicious brownies. A variety of drinks are available. The island walk was magnificent offering fantastic views of the bay. Very enjoyable!
The best cruise in the Bay of Islands
eb1232015,
Mar 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a fantastic day on the water in the Bay of Islands. The crew shared their local knowledge about the islands and wildlife. We all loved the island stopover, which included a short hike, swimming, and snorkeling, followed by a delicious bbq lunch on the boat. In the afternoon, we were lucky enough to see little blue penguins and a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Vanessa and Meghan were wonderful crew members and taught us about the dolphins. It was also clear that they put the dolphins’ welfare first, so we were sure not to overstay our welcome with the pod. Finally, this cruise is on a smaller yacht (our group was just 10 people) that lets you get closer to the water & dolphins than some of the bigger tourist boats. You can’t go wrong with this cruise!
Comfortable and relaxing day in the Bay of Islands
djfromchicago,
Feb 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great relaxing way to see the Bay of Islands and the wildlife that lives in it. We like smaller tours with no more than a dozen people and the Carino was perfect. Lots of room for everyone to move around. The boat is clean, comfortable and spacious.The Captain is friendly, knowledgeable and capable. Lunch was simple but delicious. The small island stop was brief, but provided spectacular views of the Bay of Islands.It would be hard to ask for anything more but we saw dolphins up close as well as a few penguins. If you are looking for an easy, comfortable and relaxing day in the Bay of Islands, we highly recommend this trip.
A memorable experience!
jjmmrmbm,
Nov 25, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was an absolutely wonderful experience in the beautiful Bay of Islands. Vanessa was a very knowledgeable skipper, with a great sense of humor who has an enormous respect for the environment and the surrounding wildlife. We dropped anchor at Motuarohia Island and went ashore while the crew who cooked a delicious BBQ lunch. We have since recommended the cruise to friends who are intending to travel to Paihia. Quite a memorable experience!
Top experience
427iainm,
Nov 14, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Weather in Paihia not so good but out in the Bay it was much improved and the sun came out. Learned about local wildlife and historic background of Bay. Landed at Motaurohia for walk along beach and up to viewpoint then lunch on board. Best of all, we got to see dolphins close up as they swam around the boat. In short, an amazing day, the sailing was peaceful and the crew (Vanessa and Megan) were brilliant. Would recommend this trip.
Fun day on the sea
Richard N,
Oct 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The people running this were lovely and ensured that everyone had fun. They reorganised the day of the tour so that the party got the best weather. We only saw dolphins in the distance but that couldn’t be helped. We sailed, had a barbecue and a very good day out.
A fabulous way to spend a day
ruthieb02,
Mar 19, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The Bay of Islands is a beautiful area and what better way to see it than by boat. The 6 hours flew by as we cruised around the bay. Although we didn’t see dolphins, we saw little blue penguins, gannets and rays. It was great to see how respectful Vanessa and her crew are to the wildlife. With a stop at a beach, with an opportunity to snorkel, it really is a great way to spend the day. Good value too.
Fun trip!
chifuyuh2024,
Mar 14, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We enjoyed the cruise with very friendly staff. Although we couldn't see dolphins/orcas, we enjoyed swimming/snorkeling. Thank you!
Book this tour! It was truly incredible!
818marleyl,
Feb 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We absolutely LOVED our sailing adventure! The crew was so wonderful, personable and knowledgeable. I felt like they each took the time to have conversations with every guest. The catamaran itself is beautiful and clean. I was blown away that within the first hour of sailing we had a 50+ pod of dolphins surrounding the boat! We enjoyed chatting with other guests and got to stop at a beautiful island to adventure around and snorkel. There was a great lunch when we got back on the catamaran and toured around a bit longer. 6hrs went by so fast we wanted to continue on for another 6hrs+ ;) I would give this tour 10 stars if I could!
Amazing experience!!!
O24ZUjenniferl,
Feb 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We went on an amazing island adventure with four wonderful hosts (one having four legs)!!!!! A surprise dolphin encounter for the record books!!!! Enjoyed lunch cooked to perfection with a comfortable sized group of pleasant new friends!!!! A beautiful vessel operated by Carino’s experienced staff. A “must do”!!!!!