Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours

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Reviews

1. laurent isaure ★★★★★

   We visited Port Chalmers while docked with the Silver Nova and booking the wildlife tour with Monarch Wildlife Cruises was the best decision we made. ​The experience was seamless from start to finish. The boat is comfortable and offers great viewing decks, which was perfect for our trip out to Taiaroa Head. The absolute star of the show was seeing the Royal Albatross—watching them glide with that massive wingspan right over the water is truly majestic and something pictures just can't do justice. We also spotted plenty of other wildlife along the rugged coast. ​I also have to give a huge shout-out to the crew. The captain and staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. You can tell they genuinely respect the ocean and the animals, and their commentary added so much value to the trip without being intrusive. ​If you are visiting Dunedin or coming off a cruise ship, do not miss this. It’s a perfect taste of the wild South Island!

   almost 3 months ago
2. Paul Ceallaigh ★★★★★

   Absolutely fantastic experience. We had Buddy as our guide, and he did an incredible job. A.J. was also a wonderful host. She was incredibly friendly and helpful. The tour itself was excellent. The view of the wildlife (particularly the Albatross) was spectacular. I cannot recommend this enough!

   almost 5 months ago
3. Dan Blackwell ★★★★★

   Just finished our tour with Monarch. We did the encounters and wildlife cruise tour. Our guide was Will and he was absolutely incredible - so knowledgeable about the wildlife but also about the Māori and European history of Dunedin and Otago. We saw sea lions, fur seals, albatrosses, little blue penguins, yellow eyed penguins, and heaps of other sea birds. Would recommend this to everyone visiting the area.

   almost 8 months ago

1. Elodie Edwards-Grossi ★★★★★

   I booked the Castle + cruise tour from Dunedin. My tour guide was Rob and it was one of the best tours I have ever had. Rob was very knowledgeable about the history of the castle, the history of the family who owned it and the grounds. The cruise was a very nice experience as well, so I highly recommend this tour.

   almost 8 months ago
2. Jill MacDonald ★★★★★

   We took the one hour wildlife cruise from Wellers Rock. The guide was very knowledgeable about the birds and other wildlife, their lifecycle, nesting and lots of other information. We saw albatross, little penguins and a couple of seals. They have jackets and binoculars that you can use. Great cruise, really enjoyed it.

   almost 9 months ago
3. Matthew Warden ★★★★★

   Thank you, Chris, for your amazing hospitality. Your knowledge of Larnach Castle and Dunedin’s history was fantastic. Our trip to the Albatross colony rounded off the day beautifully as we were able to see the gorgeous chicks and lucky enough to see adult Albatross return to feed their young. Felt very privileged. Highly recommend Monarch. Looking forward to next time. Matt & Chris Warden

   almost 2 years ago

1. Jean M ★★★★★

   Fantastic people to deal with, very helpful and kind. The cruise was so enjoyable - relax and have a beer while hearing about the harbour, then time to focus on the albatrosses, fur seals and maybe if you’re lucky the blue penguins.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Theo F ★★★★★

   Amazing! Friendly and information captain with commentary throughout. We saw 4 species of albatross, 1 blue penguin (for a few seconds), a baby seal sleeping, a giant petrel, and more seabirds. This tour is great, but especially for bird spotting more than penguins/seals. Binoculars and jackets available on the boat for free. Try book on windy, grey days. The birds love that kind of weather for flying.

   almost 2 years ago
3. Christina Yuan ★★★★★

   Best tour I have been to. We saw 5 wild yellow eyed penguins and a whole bunch of other wildlifes. It's so amazing to see yellow eyed that close! I highly recommend this tour to everyone.

   almost 4 years ago

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