Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise: Scenic Adventure with Dolphins, Penguins, and Birds

Embark on a scenic adventure in Akaroa Harbour and encounter majestic dolphins, playful penguins, and a variety of fascinating bird species on this nature cruise.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Main Wharf - Experience the thrill of observing rare Hector’s dolphins in their natural habitat, along with New Zealand fur seals, little blue penguins, albatross, and other native seabirds on this acclaimed cruise. Step aboard a spacious, modern catamaran featuring two open viewing decks, indoor seating, and onboard amenities. Journey through…
What's Included
  • 2-hour nature cruise
  • Wildlife viewing
  • Full on-board commentary
  • Tea, coffee or hot chocolate
  • Postcard
  • GST (Goods and Services Tax)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
Additional Information

Embark on a breathtaking cruise through Akaroa Harbour and discover some of New Zealand’s most extraordinary marine life, such as the rare Hector’s dolphin, NZ fur seals, penguins, and seabirds. Aboard a spacious, modern catamaran featuring expansive viewing decks and indoor seating, this award-winning nature cruise provides comfort, stunning views, and…

Location
Akaroa
Please check in to the Black Cat office, on the Main Wharf, in Akaroa (big blue building!), at least 30 minutes prior to departure.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(299 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Jennifer_p
Jul 7, 2025
Slice of Heaven - Fresh sea air, pristine water, wildlife in their natural habitat and a crew that has just the right mix of information and humour - this is a must do when visiting Aotearoa, New Zealand! We learned some history, heard beautiful Te Reo Māori and saw Hector dolphins, seals, sea birds and scenes that looked like they were from the movies. It was an incredible journey!
Review provided by Viator
Lori_v
Jun 15, 2025
Great time! - The trip was amazing and lots of wildlife to be seen. The meeting point was easily found and the excursion allowed plenty of time to explore the town when it was finished. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
X2016tqsandram
May 8, 2025
Do this trip - Greeted on too the boat by the crew and had an informative couple of hours cruising saw lots of wildlife and learned alot about the surrounding area , weather was okay and saw Dusky Dolphins in 3 trips on this pur 4th I finally saw these lovely creatures..had a really good time and the crew were so friendly we really enjoyed it ...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rwinters444
Apr 15, 2025
Dolphins guaranteed - An awesome trip. Very professional and friendly staff. Great commentary on the Banks Peninsula environs. They guaranteed that we would see dolphins and we did. Pleased we booked with a larger boat company due to the nature of the swell. Totally recommend this trip to others.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alis767
Apr 13, 2025
Wonderful 2 hour cruise to see Hector's Dolphins - This 2 hour nature cruise was amazing and well worth the money. We were blessed with lovely weather, and the crew were really helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We went out to where the Hector's Dolphins might be found, and I was expecting to see a few fleeting glimpses. But no, the captain switched off the engines and the Dolphins came to us and were there for ages, swimming alongside and under the boat, and popping up again on all sides. There were several pods swimming around us for a good 20 minutes. We also went close to the cliffs in a little Cove to see the fur seals including several baby seals. This was an experience I will not forget for a long time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour18203598872
Mar 31, 2025
It was too cheap for the awesome experience - We decided what the hell we all went as a family Mum dad and three kids and what an awesome experience we had we saw dolphins seals and penguins as well as albatross Thankfully for us we had a chap called Harry on board and he was full of knowledge about the biologics of the Akaroa Harbour and including many interesting and knowledgeable things to do with both Maui dolphins and Hector's dolphins I am so glad that an knowledgeable person like Harry is chosen to stay in New Zealand and educate our visitors on our local indigenous sea life
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lizadventurer
Mar 24, 2025
Fun with Hector Dolphins - We thought it was too cold to swim with the dolphins so we decided to do the nature cruise. I am so thankful we did it. We saw a lot of Hectors dolphins. They swam close to the boat and seemed to have fun swimming in the waves. They are the smallest dolphins I have ever seen. The extra bonus was seeing the fur seals! I love seen animals in their natural environment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tinahq90vh
Mar 22, 2025
Fabulous morning on the water - We had a fabulous day the weather was perfect the captain knowledgeable and the crew attentive. Our first Hectors were found within 15 minutes of starting the cruise. Dolphins and baby fur seals birds we got it all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Perardua83
Mar 21, 2025
New Zealand Discovery with Titan Tours 2025 - 2-hour cruise with English commentary throughout. The crew members were very nice and helpful throughout the nature cruise. We were able to see Hector/New Zealand dolphins who came right up to the cruise vessel. A thoroughly enjoyable nature cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Glenys
Mar 20, 2025
Enjoyed - Even though it was a wet morning we still enjoyed our cruise. We got to see some Hectors Dolphins and fur seals. And some spectacular scenery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $71
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).