Get a close-up view of some of New Zealand’s most beautiful marine life on this half-day dolphin-watching tour from Tauranga. As well as graceful dolphins, you’re likely to spot penguins, seals, whales, sharks, orca, and maybe even turtles. This is an ideal family activity, as the boat is small and your tour personalized. Learn about the marine environment from the crew, and also enjoy views of Mt. Maunganui and Moturiki Island.

A must for wildlife enthusiasts
Explore an area with some of the greatest marine diversity in New Zealand
Choose between comfortable indoor or outdoor seating, to suit your needs
Learn about what you’re seeing with on-board commentary

What's Included

A half day cruise on our spacious 18 metre vessel with 360° outdoor views.
Comfortable fully enclosed seating downstairs and a large open sun-deck for wildlife watching.
Some of the best marine diversity in New Zealand. 
Close-up encounters-penguins, seals, dolphins, whales, sunfish, seabirds, sharks, turtles and orca. 
Onboard commentary and references with facts on the Bay and local marine wildlife. 
Our friendly, professional Bay Explorer Crew
Photos of a lifetime!

Pick Up & Return Transfer (Optional)
Lunch Box (Optional)
Cold beer and chilled regional wines from our licenced bar and non-alcoholic beverages

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

120 The Strand
120 The Strand, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
Departure Point: 120 The Strand, Tauranga (Waterfront Jetty across from Starbucks Cafe) Return point: Returns to original departure point at 2pm latest

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Children MUST Be Accompanied By An Adult
Minimum Drinking Age 18+ Years
Stroller accessible

Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

42 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-3 of 42 reviews

Dolphin trip

Greer_G, Dec 2022

Seeing the dolphins, no turtles or other wildlife. No commentry or DVD to purchase of trip as is done in Aussie on similar trips

Great day on the water!

Charles_L, Feb 2020

What a great day out on the water! Brandon and Amy were such wonderful guides. It was a beautiful day and they took us further out onto the ocean than normal because of the calm waters; perfect conditions for sighting marine life. And sight we did! Flying fish, sharks, seals. But the highlight was a school of dolphins which we tracked for some time and finally caught up with. So many and so close to the boat! Jumping and competing with birds for food, then swimming alongside the boat. So much fun, and far beyond expectation. A great day in Tauranga; highly recommended.

Amazing Nature Watching

genevagreene, Feb 2020

This was an amazing trip. We traveled for a bit, but ended up crossing paths with hundreds of dolphins. It was such a phenomenal experience. We watched them play for an hour. There really wasnt a bad view on the while boat. The dolphins seemed to be just as intrigued with us as we were with them. We also saw schools of fish and jellyfish. There was also an occasional little penguin, native to New Zealand, and other birds. I would recommend this to anyone. I will never forget the experience. Our group was small. I met some cool people including the captain.