On the Water
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travellers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$109
per adult
Black Cat Cruises
Black Cat Cruises
4.5
Swim with DolphinsBoat ToursEco ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
We started our Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruises back in 1985 and are the original cruise operators so we know the harbour pretty well. Along the way we've been named as the supreme tourism award winner and also hold the Enviro gold award from Qualmark to recognise our dedication to the environment. Your nature cruise will be on the 'Black Cat', a large modern and stable vessel allowing great views of all the scenery and wildlife including dolphins, seals and penguins. If by some chance you do not see dolphins then we will provide a ticket to come again another day. This happens on average 2% of the time across the whole year. We look forward to meeting you and giving you the best stories from the Akaroa Harbour.
Akaroa, New Zealand
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Black Cat Cruises
Swim with Dolphins
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$219
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
1,559 reviews
Excellent
1,221
Very good
221
Average
42
Poor
36
Terrible
39
AsSeenByJane
Newark, New Jersey64 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I have been on wildlife cruises, I have been swimming in open water, I have done shark cage diving, and I have seen dolphins... I thought thise would be in the realm of all the other experiences, and I was completely wrong! This was easily one of the top ten experiences of my life and I highly recommend this to anyone who can swim. I came all the way from Christchurch to Akaroa for this experience, with doubts in my mind and not knowing what to expect. It was a cold day (low 60s F with wind and off/on rain) and I wasn't thrilled about the weather. I called the company that morning and they assured me that the cruise was still running and they also told me that because the water was choppy, they were only letting experienced swimmers out. I arrived at the shop 20 minutes before the cruise (you have to check in at least 15 minutes before departure) and was given a form to sign and once again asked about my open sea swimming experience and whether or not I got motion sickness. I do get motion sickness, but I took an extra dose of dramamine and took some hard candies with me to help with that. We were then shown into the other room and sized for wetsuits and booties. These were 5ml wetsuits and we were instructed to only wear our bathing suits (togs) beneath them. Then we were sized for booties and given masks, the masks were optional but everything else was mandatory. We were split into our groups and sent off on the small vessels. Immediately, Bo and Daz (sorry if I spelled these wrong!) were ready with the jokes. They told us about the Hector dolphins that we would see as well as how to interact with them and conservation efforts. They drove quickly through the water and we bounced off the waves, it was exhilarating! We pulled up next to a wildlife cruise that had spotted some dolphins and parked there waiting to see if the dolphins were interested in us. And lucky us, they were! The dolphins stuck around and we got off the boat via ladder and entered the water. I was nervous about the cold water, but the 5ml wetsuits were no joke! I was very warm. Soon after, the dolphins started swimming with us! They circled us and jumped and rode the waves. It was a breathtaking experience. The guides said there were maybe 8 dolphins that stayed with us for maybe 1-2 hours but it felt like 30 dolphins and 12 hours. After the dolphins got bored and left us, it was time for us to head back anyway. Bo and Daz pulled up their "ocean uber" to us and we re-entered the boat. We started feeling cold out of the water, and then they surprised us again with a hot water hose that they used to pour warm water down our wetsuits. It felt amazing. We pulled up to calmer waters where they showed us Cathedral Cave and Elephant rock and we shared hot chocolate and ginger cookies. We sped back to beat the other boat so that we could get to the hot showers first. It was truly an experience I will never forget and you would be making a huge mistake leaving New Zealand without doing it.
Written 15 February 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.
Hi AsSeenByJane,
Thank you for your thorough and detailed review. It sounds like you had an amazing day with us out on the water in Akaroa Harbour. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
We take much pride in saying that we do our best to provide a memorable experience for all of our guests and your feedback means a lot to us. Daz, Bodie and the rest of the team hope you will be able to join us onboard again soon!
Written 8 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fredthefiddle
Winchester, UK153 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
It seemed like quite a lot of money to pay for a trip out of Akaroa for a 2 hour nature cruise, but boy, did this trip deliver!
The skipper was informative and charming throughout. He was also extremely deft at spotting wildlife and handling the boat so delicately in the ocean swell that we got up very close to both the cliffs and to the wildlife
I don’t know if we were lucky, but in a two hour trip we saw penguins, very many dolphins which did indeed swim under the bows, fur seals and wonderful birdlife. Akaroa harbour itself is also SO beautiful from the sea.
We also visited the extraordinary volcanic formations in the local cliffs and caves, including impressive blowholes out on the ocean cliffs.
I can only say it was a wonderful experience and worth every penny.
The skipper was informative and charming throughout. He was also extremely deft at spotting wildlife and handling the boat so delicately in the ocean swell that we got up very close to both the cliffs and to the wildlife
I don’t know if we were lucky, but in a two hour trip we saw penguins, very many dolphins which did indeed swim under the bows, fur seals and wonderful birdlife. Akaroa harbour itself is also SO beautiful from the sea.
We also visited the extraordinary volcanic formations in the local cliffs and caves, including impressive blowholes out on the ocean cliffs.
I can only say it was a wonderful experience and worth every penny.
Written 26 February 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.
Hi Fredthefiddle, thanks so much for taking the time to review us on TripAdvisor. Sounds like you had a fantastic trip and you got to see so many dolphins! We agree that Akaroa is so beautiful! We hope to see you again in the future.
Written 21 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
wellingt0nkirby
Wellington, New Zealand346 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Last did this trip more than a decade ago. Booked for Fathers Day gift and redeemed today. Yesterday we were rung to be offered a refund or later tour as swells were likely to be large for morning cruise. We chose afternoon cruise. Swells were still 3m out at sea but not unpleasant. Slow journey out through harbour with stops for sightseeing - fur seals, volcanic rock formations, salmon farming etc. Good commentary - yes with Dad jokes but added to the day. Once out of harbour went looking for Hector Dolphins. Eventually found several and stayed around the area to ensure all on boat had seen & photographed. Unfortunately my snaps did not capture the swift diving dolphins but they were there Swift trip back kept us within the 2 hours. Skilful operation. Worth it
Written 1 October 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.
Hi wellingt0nkirby,
We are so delighted that we met your expectations and beyond! We appreciate you taking the time to review our Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise and we hope you will be able to visit us again soon!
Written 22 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Greynomad_10
Sydney, Australia113 contributions
Feb 2020
We have lived in Kenya and travelled to most of the game parks. We have been to Alaska, the High Artic and Antartica. We are well aware that wildlife spotting cannot be guaranteed but in most cases, guides know where wildlife and even sea life MIGHT be found. Consequently, when a crew member was asked if she knew the LIKELY whereabouts one might site dolphins, one does not expect to be told,"in the ocean"and that "they are free to swim anywhere." A shadow of a dolphin was spotted beneath the bow and the captain announced "that ticks off that box". The whole attitude appeared to be, "let's travel to the port entrance and back as quickly as possible". We booked this excursion on a Cunard cruise and a similar one in Dunedin with Monarch cruises. The latter had excellent crew, who were very attentive and good at spotting sealife. We are all provided with binoculars and the captain took great trouble, in choppy waters , manoeuvring his vessel to best advantage for his passengers. We have lodged a complaint about the Black Cat excursion with Cunard and recommended that they advise customers to take the Monarch cruise in Dunedin instead.
Written 20 February 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.
Hi Greynomad_10, thank you for taking the time to provide us feedback on TripAdvisor. We are very sorry that our Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise did not meet your expectation. We sincerely apologise for the comments made by our crew, on this occasion they were trying to be humorous but it has caused a miscommunication and resulted in a negative experience for you. Our management team have spoken to the staff involved and again we apologise that you had a bad experience with us. We hope you are able to come back to Akaroa one day and experience the tour again so you can see it in a positive light as we hope all our wonderful passengers do. We hope you enjoyed the rest of our trip around New Zealand!
Written 9 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jake
Wanaka, New Zealand15 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Good experience, staff were lovely & very accommodating... unfortunately didn’t really go swimming with the Dolphins as they were feeding & not interested in playing. Got a 25% refund for the experience although I feel we should have been subsidised 50% as it is very expensive.
Written 7 January 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.
Hi infamoustrill, thanks very much for reviewing us on TripAdvisor. Thanks for your feedback; We are sorry the dolphins didn't feel like interacting on your swim but hope you can come out with us another time to try again. Thank you again for letting us know your thoughts!
Written 7 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
carmel b
6 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
The trip out onto Akaroa Harbour on The Black Cat was beautiful. It is a well maintained vessel which was skippered by Des and crewed by Helen. The2 hour cruise passed so quickly and the commentary offered by Des was both informative and entertaining. The vessel is very stable and gives its passengers a smooth trip in this amazing harbour. This is a real highlight of a visit to Akaroa.
Written 9 February 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.
Muriel Brent
Wellington, New Zealand25 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
If you have teenagers this is the trip for you. We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of dolphins that we saw and the professional Attitude of the crew. The dolphins are beyond cute, and we never felt unsafe just in our mind. We received hot chocolate a nice warm shower and plenty of guidance. A bit pricey but worth it.
Written 16 January 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.
CBrokken
6 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Absolutely loved our nature cruise and thrilled that we got to see quite a few Hector dolphins. The crew on-board Daniel, Das and Charlie did an amazing job of making sure we knew where to look when the dolphins were in sight and also making sure that we were against the wind so we had a comfortable journey. This was by far the best part of our honeymoon. Thank you to the entire team including the ticket office ladies for making this such a memorable trip.
Written 5 October 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.
Michal1500
Warsaw, Poland122 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
I understand wild animals are unpredictable, so maybe we were just unlucky. Or maybe the operator runs tours regardless of the probability of a successful experience (- we understand it’s feeding/mating time, which makes them more shy). Regardless, from our perspective it was a steep fee and a half-day spent (including about 1h in really cold water) just to catch a glimpse of a few dorsal fins quickly diving back under water. Would have preferred to spend the money and time elsewhere. That said, the boat was solid and clean, and the crew competent and kind.
Written 1 December 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.
Thank you for taking the time to review our product and for your nice comments about our team and facilities.
We are sorry you didn't get the interaction you were hoping for. This is always a possibility when interacting with wildlife. To protect our very special Hector's Dolphins the interactions are on their terms. More often than not the dolphins are more than happy to interact with us. We just have to respect that sometimes they have other priorities.
Written 17 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andrew T
Auckland, New Zealand62 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
This is well worth two hours of your time if you are visiting Akaroa. With great commentary by friendly and knowledgeable staff, you’re taken out to the mouth of the harbour sighting (in our case) seals and dolphins along the way. Penguins are sometimes also seen we were told. Pretty good value also. Recommended.
Written 10 July 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.
Hi L6372HOandrewt,
We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It's great to hear that you enjoyed our Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise and that you got to see so much of the beautiful wildlife that is has to offer! Thanks again for your review and we hope to see you again soon!
Written 10 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I saw that you have 2 cruises under 2 different names listed in Trip Advisor. They both are 3 hrs., but one says 1 hour in the water with the dolphins, and the other says 2 hrs. in the water. Would you please clarify the difference? Do the boats go to different areas that take either 30 min. to get to and 1 hr. to get to?
Written 16 December 2019
We took the cruise which took us around in the cruise boat giving us opportunity to see the sea life, basically small dolphins, although we also saw seal, and thousands of sea gulls as well as caves in the rocks.
There is another three hours cruise, unfortunately we have no information on that as we didn’t take that.
Written 17 December 2019
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