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Explore the Bay of Islands - Carino Wildlife Cruises

4.9
35
Deals from $164.00 Save $16.00 Check dates nowsystem_update_alt
Join Carino Wildlife Cruises for the ultimate day exploring the beautiful Bay of Islands.

Join Carino Wildlife Cruises for the ultimate day exploring the beautiful Bay of Islands.

Highlights

  • Get up-close views of dolphins and other marine life
  • Island stopover for snorkelling, walking or relaxing
  • We are the only yacht licensed by the Department of Conservation to interact with wild dolphins in the Bay of Islands!
  • A unique sailing, wildlife watching and island hopping adventure - the best activities in the Bay of Islands!

Experience the Bay of Islands with Carino Wildlife Cruises in helping to protect our wild dolphins!

A special home base for bottlenose dolphins, the best way to discover the Bay of Islands is onboard the Carino Wildlife Cruises luxury 50ft catamaran. You'll just love exploring deep blue waters, vivid green islands and diverse wildlife.

This 6-hour expedition caters for those who know the journey is more important than the destination - we take a leisurely relaxed approach to enjoy the many activities on offer during the day.


Tour Includes:

Dolphins - Observe and learn about wild dolphins. Carino Wildlife Cruises is the only sailing yacht licensed by the Department of Conservation to interact with dolphins in the Bay of Islands. Every ticket directly contributes to marine mammal research and conservation – Protect the future.

Sailing - Experience sailing among the beautiful Bay of Islands; help the crew set and trim the sails or just sit back relax and enjoy the view and wildlife from the spacious decks of this purpose-built vessel

Exploring - Your skipper will find the best suited island cove on the day where a wide range of activities are on hand, from Snorkelling (equipment provided) to scenic walking tracks, beachcombing or just relaxing in the sun on the golden sands.

Adult $180.00 (Aged 15+)
Child $120.00 (Aged 4-14 years)

What's included

  • Masks, Snorkels, Fins and Wetsuits

Duration

  • Allow approximately 6 hours for the whole experience

Location

  • Boarding at 8:45am at Paihia Wharf.

Restrictions

  • Minimum age: 4

Child Friendly

  • This experience welcomes families with children.

Notes

  • Please note: Carino Wildlife Cruises cannot absolutely guarantee to find dolphins, because they are wild animals in their own environment (not in an enclosure).

    You can bring your own snorkelling equipment for this experience.

  • Optional Extras:

    BBQ Lunch- Enjoy a classic kiwi style BBQ lunch onboard Carino NZ (vegetarian and gluten-free options available) - $10 per person, can be purchased at checkout.

    Drinks - Enjoy a drink from the fully licenced cash bar, stocked with a great range of New Zealand beers wines and cool drinks.

Available Bookings from 29 Mar to 11 Apr 2024

Change Dates

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Fri 29 Mar
Sat 30 Mar
Sun 31 Mar
Mon 1 Apr
Tue 2 Apr
Wed 3 Apr
Thu 4 Apr
Fri 5 Apr
Sat 6 Apr
Sun 7 Apr
Mon 8 Apr
Tue 9 Apr
Wed 10 Apr
Thu 11 Apr

Bookings close in 1 hour...

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$120.00

  • Adult$164.00
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$180.00
  • Child$120.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$180.00
  • Child$120.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$120.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$180.00
  • Child$120.00

  • Adult$164.00 Less than 6 at this price!
  • Child$99.00

  • Adult$180.00
  • Child$120.00

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

4.9

35 reviews

Showing all 35 authenticated Bookme reviews

clynnes from New Zealand wrote on 08 February 2023

Wonderful cruise and snorkel in the bay

We went out on holiday in Paihia and knew we wanted to cruise the bay. The fact that Carino is allowed to get up close and personal with the dolphins made for an easy choice! We were fortunate to have the dolphins play all around the boat. We even saw penguins out at sea! Michi & Veronica were not only friendly and fun, but extremely knowledgeable and catamaran was so smooth on the water (no seasickness). They also provided binoculars, snorkeling gear and reading material to help identify the animals we saw. What a fantastic experience!

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Célie Husson from France wrote on 25 October 2022

Wonderful

Wonderful experience! Friendly crew, beautiful boat, small group (10 people, perfect if you don’t want lot of tourists). The company is respectful toward to marine life. We saw dolphins at less than 1 meters of the boat, beautiful day!!!

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kerih4 from New Zealand wrote on 09 January 2022

Great experience

Vanessa and Wayne were truly wonderful. Very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the Bay. Thank you for a wonderful experience for my entire family.

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Jessica Woods from New Zealand wrote on 19 April 2021

Awesome Experience from Start to Finish!

We had the most awesome day trip on the catamaran. Everything about the day was special, we were looked after by Vanessa and Wayne who were experienced, kind, and such a friendly crew. There isn't anything these people don't know about the area and the sea, they dropped us off by boat to an island so we could snorkel (supplied by them) after a walk and some relaxation they picked us up from the island, and back at the boat had lunch waiting onboard. The smell of onions (we love) greeted us as we tucked into our sausages (veggie for me) and salad. We were the only people on the trip that day, very unexpected and we were totally spoilt, the catamaran is beautiful and you can get so close to the marine life. My dream has always been to get up close and personal with the dolphins...we didn't swim with them but Vanessa "found them" and we had the most wonderful display from them as they spent a lot of time playing with us. One of the babies was showing off, rolling on its back and then mum and baby cuddled...you could feel the love! They stayed with us for a long time, one of them giving the most spectacular display by leaping 15 foot into the air before diving back down to play with the pod. If you want a more personalised service, I would go with Carina, unlike larger companies, they offer the personal touch. You won't be disappointed!

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edwinh from New Zealand wrote on 17 March 2021

Heaps of fun

Very enjoyable day under sail around the Bay of Islands.

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From Explore the Bay of Islands - Carino Wildlife Cruises

Dear Edwinh Thank you for taking the time to give feedback on our cruise. We love sharing the Bay with our guests and are very happy that you enjoyed the sailing and had fun with us. Cheers Vanessa

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This award identifies a business with a high level of professionalism, a keen awareness of the impact it has on the environment and a commitment to a customer centric approach.

This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.

This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.

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