Dunedin Wildlife Cruise-Albatross, seals and harbour
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.
-Full professional amplified commentary
-Quality binoculars provided.
-Bathroom onboard, heated cabin
-Learn about 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
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
We depart a 5-10 minute easy walk, from cruise ship terminal building, Port Chalmers.
We do not offer transport from Cruise building. Passengers need to make their own way, a flat easy 5-10 minute walk.
Not recommended for travelers with signifigant mobility problems (must be able to step down into vessel, 300mm)
Please be aware there could be sea spray at times, please dress warmly, just incase.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Otago Peninsula
Scenery, wildlife, shipwrecks, ocean birds, albatross, seals and more.
Albatross, seal, sea birds and much more, by boat.
What‘s Included
Binoculars and jackets
Wildlife information sheets
Restroom on board
Snacks
Options
Portobello Departure
Starting point:
837 Portobello Road, Portobello, Dunedin 9014, New Zealand
Port Chalmers Departure
Port Chalmers pick up
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes: From Port Chalmers.
If youd like more time on the vessel this can be arranged on the day for no extra cost.
Port Chalmers, Taiaroa Head
Boat
Starting point:
39 Peninsula Beach Road, Port Chalmers, Dunedin 9023, New Zealand
Reviews
115 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Informative and fun small group tour
aokMelbourne,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic informative and fun small group tour with knowledgeable and engaging guide Rachel. Awesome opportunity to see fur seals, albatross, shags, gulls and we even got to see blue penguins! Thanks for the fabulous tour!
Exceptional Tour!
Kelly H,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an amazing experience- I am so glad we did it! Rachel was SUPER helpful (we came in on a cruise ship, and I accidentally booked the wrong pickup spot). She automatically changes our location pickup, and gave us DETAILED instructions about how to find the boat. We saw all kinds of wildlife- many types of birds, and several seals!
Ruined Day
Carlos J,,Jan 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00Be wary. Was advised day prior to event that our 16:00 trip was cancelled (not enough people). Agrees to the 1:25 pm. Then went to meet point, checked Viator and told cancelled because too windy. Looked sunny and calm to us. Granted, we were probably going to open water. But left us with no other options and prettt much a bust of the day.
Best small group tour!...
Michele M,,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Best small group tour! Rachel was very informative & had binoculars for all. Wildlife tours aren’t guaranteed to see wildlife but we were lucky- saw multiple albatross, fur seals, a small blue penguin, it was wonderful!
Not upto our expectations
pv507,,Jan 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00The host was good in communicating through emails. But the trip did not meet our expectations. We only saw couple of fur seals/ lions
Good tour for the family and on the harbor
elissafinkwa,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We saw a lot of critters: seals, lots of albatross and other birds. Rachel is quick & knows a lot. Enjoyed the tour. Fun to get out on the harbor.
Smaller is Better
MaryJane G,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a smaller lower boat with fewer people than many of the tour boats so when the albatrosses and giant petrels swam near us they were barely six feet away. Rachel is very knowledgeable and at the end gives out a pictorial checklist of what we saw, which I loved. Highly recommended.
Rachel was the best
Cameron B,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Friendly and informed tour guide, a great opportunity for bird watchers to add more species to their list.
A great wildlife experience with Rachel
Kim G,,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This small group tour took 8 people out in the bay seeking wildlife. Rachel, our guide, was amazing. She conducted the tour alone - docking & driving the boat and narrating as we went. She had a keen eye to spot birds, seals and albatross. She was extremely knowledgeable sharing mating, nesting and other habits of the animals we saw. I highly recommend this tour!
Friendly and knowledgeable skipper and a stunning location
Cassie W,,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very much enjoyed this tour, especially loved watching the seals playing in the ocean and seeing the albatross soaring over the heads.
From NZ$170.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
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Operated by Port To Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours Ltd