Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari

Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari

Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari
4.5
Boat Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Dolphin & Whale Watching • Nature & Wildlife Tours
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8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
This is New Zealand’s most interactive whale and dolphin watching experience! Come aboard our luxury catamaran from downtown Auckland, minutes from city hotels, for breath-taking encounters with an incredible variety of wildlife including whales, dolphins, seabirds, seals, penguins and more! Beginning in the Viaduct Harbour, be transported to the sheltered waters of the Hauraki Gulf - one of the world's most abundant and diverse marine parks. Be prepared for breath-taking encounters with wildlife on your 4.5-hour eco-adventure. Enjoy large viewing decks on our purpose-built catamaran Dolphin Explorer and capture amazing photos and video! On board, you'll also participate in marine research conducted by marine biologist guides, who will inspire you to become a guardian of our oceans. *GUARANTEED marine mammal viewing – or come back for free! *Every ticket helps contribute directly to marine mammal conservation
Auckland Central, New Zealand
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Tours and Tickets by Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari
Travelers talk about
(33 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
1,749 reviews
Excellent
1,402
Very good
225
Average
54
Poor
24
Terrible
44

HapppyTony
Camberley, UK43 contributions
Jan 2020
I am late with a big “Thank You” for Whale and dolphin Watching – my wife and I had a really great time and saw a lot of dolphins. one whale was spotted and we followed it for a good while. Didn't seem to bother it.. The whale came up nose first and stood on it's tail.....showing off!! So thank you so much – we had a great time the crew were so helpful and kept us abreast of what's happening in this area! We would fully recommend this trip if you are ever in Aukland.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5* review, HapppyTony! We are pleased that you and your wife thoroughly enjoyed your safari experience viewing both the whales and dolphins that are resident here in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. We hope to see you on board again in the future.
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FrequentFlier433229
1 contribution
Dec 2019
Professionally run, exceptionally well organised. Crew showed a genuine interest in their commendable work. Excellent team, so well informed and prepared to go the extra mile to explain and answer questions. Enlightening, educational and encouraging that such work is going on and not just commercially/money making orientated. Encountered three pods of dolphins, a Bryde's Whale and several blue penguins - a once in a lifetime experience - just wonderful.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5* review, Robbie! Your kind words about our crew have really put a smile on our dials this morning as it's so lovely to see our crew's hard work and passion being recognised. We're pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your safari experience viewing several species of marine wildlife and hope that we will see you on board again in the future.
Written January 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Megan S
1 contribution
Dec 2022 • Friends
My mother and I have been on whale and dolphin tours all around the world. This was the best yet! The following is actually a message I sent to a friend traveling to Auckland shortly after our tour:

I’d strongly recommend the Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari. We had such an incredible day! We saw bronze whaler sharks on the way out and so many whales and dolphins all day. It’s a huge comfy boat with indoor and outdoor space, so definitely a good activity for all ages. The guides are very knowledgeable about seabirds, cetaceans, and sharks and they have a table full of different guide books and even binders full of identification guides for the local whales.
Written December 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelly McCardle
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Couples
Crew were awesome, full of information, happy to be asked questions, were welcoming and friendly. Saw dolphins which was the coolest thing ever, unfortunately didn't see any whales but that's wildlife for ya.
Was a bit cold and windy (this really isn't surprising though) so would recommend wearing layers.
Worth every cent.
Would highly recommend to others, and will come do this again.
Thank you so much for an awesome day, and an awesome experience.
Written September 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mateus Oliveira
Brasilia, DF3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
The crew is funny and thoughtful, they teach about conservation of the environment, we could see how the crew collects data for scientific research. Of course, we also saw the dolphins! And one whale before turning back. I would definitely recommend this tour and would return other times if I could. The contact with nature and the respect for the animals that the crew demonstrates is inspiring.
Written March 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cris L
Good morning! That's great to hear you enjoyed the tour and what it is provided by our company. Hope we have you back to explore our other places another time:)
Written March 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

johnfindlay1958
Invercargill, New Zealand1 contribution
Mar 2020
My wife and I enjoyed a beautiful afternoon out on the water. The boat was clean, fast and totally fit for purpose. The staff were very friendly and a good commentary along the way. We saw lots of Dolphins, Gannett's and a whale, we stayed out an extra hour as we came across the whale on the way back in. I can totally reccomend this trip
Written March 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review, johnfindlay1958! We are pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your safari experiencing exploring Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and viewing both the whales and dolphins that live here. We hope to see you on board again in the future.
Written March 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michael B
Nelson, New Zealand12 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Recommend this trip for residents anyone visiting Auckland. A great day out on the water. The crew are extremely friendly and knowledgeable.

We saw so many dolphins and a whale as well on our trip.

With the opportunity to go back if you are unlucky enough to miss out on wildlife the day you go out, this is a must do in our opinion.
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wild Travels
1 contribution
Feb 2020
After 2 attempt re-scheduled due to bad weather we were fortunate to be on the lucky one.
Plenty dolphins and a whale sighting. Great weather. Highly recommended. Wonderful team and fantastic commentary.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5* review, Dreamer21078034878. We are pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your safari experience exploring Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Marine and viewing the whales and dolphins that live here. We hope to see you on board again in the future.
Written March 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

nigelvedder
Taupo District, New Zealand1 contribution
Mar 2020
We had a great time. Skipper and Crew were excellent, skipper very entertaining on putting things across. Boat was good. Crew interacted well with passengers. Loved seeing the dolphins.
Only disappointment was there were no Orca's and whale sightings on this trip. Maybe next time.
Crew very informative with wildlife and the way oceans work.
Well done.
Highly recommend
Written March 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5* review, nigelvedder! We are pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your safari experience exploring Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, learning about the ocean and viewing the dolphins that live here. We hope to see you on board again in the future.
Written March 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

515dee
1 contribution
Mar 2020 • Family
We have had excellent service from the team. We attended on Sunday the 1st of March and saw an amazing pod of over 50 dolphins it was incredible. The weather was a bit rough so we were given a voucher to come again which I found wonderful.
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your 5* review, 515dee. We are pleased that you thoroughly enjoyed your safari experience exploring Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Marine and viewing the dolphins that live here. We are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the future.
Written March 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari (Auckland Central) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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