Glass Bottom Boat Whitianga Cathedral Cove Cruise
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Our unique tour is the only one to show you the marine life without getting wet. The glass panels provide a clear window to spotting marine life. Our crew are passionate about the ocean, conservation and our marine reserve.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
Join us for a 2hr eco tour to explore above and below the surface in the marine reserve and along our stunning volcanic coastline. View spectacular scenery including Cathedral Cove, sea caves, towering pinnacles and blowholes. Sit back and watch and abundance of marine life through the glass panels with the option to take the plunge and snorkel amongst the fish. Equipment supplied. Learn all about the marine life and geology within the marine reserve. Our professional and friendly crew have extensive knowledge of the area and provide a fun and factual commentary on our Maori and European history. Let the passionate crew teach you about our amazing marine reserve, our ocean and sustainability. Our mammal watch permit allows us to sustainably interact with any dolphins, whales, orca and seals we see while on tour. Our tour exclusively offers the chance to see above and below the surface and is dedicated to offering the best experience on the water. With excellent ratings and service awards, bookings are essential. Tours depart daily from the Whitianga Wharf.
Options
2hr scenic & marine viewing
What‘s Included
professional and friendly crew
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
1,017 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fabulous trip across the bay. Worth every cent!
Clive D,May 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We loved how we could see the fish and the sea grass so clearly. The views across the bay are spectacular. The history shared with us was so interesting. Loved the speed of the boat!
Whitianga Glass Bottom Boat Trip
Bernadette H,May 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The trip was fabulous even though the weather wasn't too good. Dylan the tour leader/captain was very informative and knowledgeable. My husband and I saw lots of fish.
Great stuff
beejd2026,May 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A great morning - I've never seen ocean water so blue!
Fabulous experience
Catherine R,May 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Top part of our trip at NZ. We learned lots about the coast like and would recommend this experience to everyone!
Glass Bottom Fish Plus Orua Cave & More
John L,May 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent experience getting to see lots of fish in the protected marine reserve. Highlight for me was Orua Sea Cave, which we entered due to higher tide. Guide was great, providing lots of history and interesting facts. Expect some choppiness to the ride between points and limited number of guests (12 max?). Duration is around 2 hrs but bring a water bottle if warm weather.
Fabulous
CandyJ61,May 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Viator charged us in US dollars. Didn’t notice until too late. Otherwise Fabulous.
Great staff and boat
Lee S,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The water was a bit choppy when we went out so I’d recommend sea sickness pill if that bothers you. JD and Jade were both friendly and helpful. We had some late arrivals in our group which resulted in a late start, but the crew dealt with it as best as they could. The coastline was very pretty and the boat was in nice shape with a large glass viewing deck. The large snapper were very impressive! I would recommend! However, I would also encourage fellow travelers to be on time as it’s inconsiderate to ask others to wait on you when you’re 35 minutes late. We ended up having to arrive back to Auckland after dark which we were trying to avoid. It would also be nice if they had merchandise available for purchase on board.
Great honest company
Ceilings,Apr 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a good honest company, on Saturday we took the 9am boat out to cathedral cove, the captain explained that he would try and give us a good experience, however the weather may make it challenging to do everything planned! Well we went straight to cathedral cove, it was a little choppy and very difficult to keep boat steady for anything more than a few photographs. Opened the glass floor up and red snappers suddenly appeared (impressive) Next captain asked if we were up for some choppy seas, but at the end we would be able to go into a cave? Yes, everyone was ready for the adventure, it was choppy, however we did get there and the cave was spectacular + many colorful fish. We journeyed back, trying to see a few other sites, not always possible because of waves, still spectacular visuals. On returning to the dock we were informed that we would be receiving a partial refund, as we did not get to do everything advertised! Very impressed with gesture, we had an exciting/interesting boat trip and they could have easily said weather is out of there control, but they didn't! Highly recommend this company and trip.
Fabulous Couple of Hours
Richard N,Mar 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Brilliant trip with Dylan & Eliza out to Cathedral Cove. Very laid back and friendly style, they both know their stuff and are able to adapt the tour according to the conditions. As well as the Cover, we saw blowholes, caves and other inlets,having explanations about everything we were seeing. And of course the glass bottom gets exposed to allow a mass of marine life, again well explained by Dylan as to what we were seeing.
Epic
556bluef,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an epic way to top off a family weekend. Friendly captain, great Boat, heaps of fish and the dolphins just made it something we will remember for life. Awesome!!!!!!
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