Auckland Whale Watching

You can walk from a hotel in central Auckland to Viaduct Harbour, board a boat and be looking for whales and dolphins in the Hauraki Gulf, Tīkapa Moana, the same morning. The Gulf opens out beyond the end of the harbour, and whales and dolphins live in it all year, so whale and dolphin watching here runs in every month instead of following one short migration season.

Two trips on this site go looking for them from the Viaduct. The Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari is a 4.5-hour eco cruise from $124 per person that spends the whole trip on the wildlife. Explore Group’s Tīkapa Moana cruise costs NZ$210 per adult, booked direct with Explore, and runs most of the day, mixing a wildlife search with time ashore on an island. Both offer another trip if you see no marine mammals at all, and neither can promise any particular animal, because these are wild creatures in open water.

Auckland whale watching at a glance

The half-day safari

Our pick is the Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari Eco Cruise (our breakdown). It is rated 4.5 from more than 1,250 reviews, which makes it the most reviewed cruise on this site. You board the Dolphin Explorer, a 20-metre (65 ft) catamaran berthed at Berth 9 in the Eastern Viaduct Marina, and head out past North Head, Devonport and Rangitoto before the search begins in the marine park. The skipper gives commentary on what you are seeing, and the operator’s marine science staff run small research activities that passengers can join.

This is the more focused of the two trips. It does not stop at any island, and the time goes on finding marine mammals, watching what they do, and the seabirds and fish that bring them to the surface. A typical safari meets common dolphins and Bryde’s whales, although every departure is different.

The trip lasts about 4.5 hours, around four of them on the water, which is long enough to get well beyond the Waitematā Harbour and search the Gulf without using up your whole day. The operator says it occasionally runs 15 to 30 minutes over when the crew finds something on the way home, so tell the skipper when you board if you must be back on time. From 1 April to 30 November there is one departure a day, at 10:30am, back at about 3pm. From 1 December to 31 March there are two, at 7:30am and 1:00pm. The boat sails every day except Christmas Day, and the operator says it does sell out at times, especially over summer.

Snacks, hot food and drinks, including beer and wine, are sold on board, and a dollar from every ticket goes to the Hauraki Gulf Guardians fund. If you see no marine mammals at all, the operator gives you and your party a complimentary voucher to come out again free. The voucher never expires, but it is not transferable or refundable, and you travel on it on a standby basis. It only helps if you have another day in Auckland, so do not book the safari for the afternoon before your flight home and count on the guarantee to cover a quiet day. The operator can cancel for wind, weather or sea conditions, and you then choose between another date and a refund.

A few practical limits apply. The operator says people in light wheelchairs who have some mobility can generally be taken on board, as long as the chair is no more than 67 cm wide. Passengers have to manage two stairs in the boarding area, with a carer’s help if needed, the indoor area and toilets have 15 cm door sills, and not every deck is reachable. Heavy or motorised wheelchairs cannot be lifted on board. The trip may not suit late pregnancy, and children under five can come only if a parent or guardian supervises them closely.

The islands cruise

The Tīkapa Moana Whales, Dolphins and Islands Cruise is a longer, looser day for NZ$210 per adult, booked direct with Explore Group (it is no longer sold on GetYourGuide). Explore Group runs it from its booking kiosk in Viaduct Harbour in partnership with Ngāi Tai Te Haeranga, on a purpose-built wildlife-viewing vessel. The commentary covers the history of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, the conservation work on the islands and the volcanic peaks of the Gulf, as well as the wildlife.

Think of it as a day out on the Hauraki Gulf with whale and dolphin watching built in, more than four hours spent looking for whales. Part of the day is spent on an island: you choose Rotoroa Island or Man O’ War on Waiheke when you book, with time to walk, swim in a sheltered bay or visit the vineyard. That makes it a good fit if you only have a couple of days in Auckland and would otherwise book a separate island trip.

The schedule changes with the season. On the summer timetable, which starts at Labour Weekend in late October, the boat sails every day. On weekdays the 9:15am boat searches for wildlife first and stops at the island afterwards, returning at about 5:35pm Monday to Thursday and 4:35pm on Fridays. At weekends and on public holidays the 9:15am boat does the island first, and an 11:30am departure is a wildlife search with no island stop; both are back at about 5:20pm. In the cooler months Explore runs a reduced timetable: in 2026 that was Wednesday to Sunday only, at 9:15am, back at about 4pm. The same ticket name therefore covers different days, so check the timetable and what your departure includes for your date before you book. Explore lists the trip at 5 hours 50 minutes to 8 hours. The boat also works the island ferry runs, so it may pick up and drop off other passengers along the way.

The guarantee here is a return voucher if no marine mammals are sighted, valid for 12 months from your travel date and subject to availability. Food and drinks are sold on board. Its rating is lower than the safari’s, and the day divides its time between wildlife and an island, so it suits people who want both, families who would find a straight wildlife trip too long, and travellers who enjoy the scenery as much as the animals.

Which cruise to book

For a trip that is all about the animals, book the safari. It is the dedicated wildlife cruise, it is shorter, and the free repeat trip is simple to use if you are still in Auckland for a few days. If you would like a swim, a walk or a glass of wine on an island as part of the day, and a lower price, take the Tīkapa Moana cruise. Its island stop can also save you booking a second trip out to the Gulf.

Prices on this site are GetYourGuide’s, in US dollars. Booked direct, the operators quote New Zealand dollars: the safari lists NZ$225 per adult and NZ$155 per child aged 0 to 14, and Explore lists the Tīkapa Moana cruise at NZ$210 per adult and NZ$105 per child aged 5 to 15, with under-fives free.

What lives in the Gulf

The whale you are most likely to meet is the Bryde’s whale. About 140 of them use the Hauraki Gulf, and a core group of around 50 stays mostly inside it all year instead of migrating. They are classed as Nationally Critical in New Zealand, and the wider northern population is thought to number under 200. Ships are the main threat, and voluntary speed limits of around 10 knots have applied in the Gulf since 2013.

Common dolphins are the animals seen most often, in every season. Orca, bottlenose dolphins, and sei and minke whales turn up regularly, and humpbacks pass through on their migrations. Seabirds are part of every trip. The whole area has been a marine park since 2000, when the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park became New Zealand’s first.

Bryde’s whales

Bryde’s whales grow to as much as 15 metres. They are baleen whales: instead of teeth they have rows of baleen plates that strain food from the water, and in the Gulf they eat both krill and other zooplankton and small schooling fish such as anchovies and pilchards. They feed in daylight and spend much of their time close to the surface, which is part of why they are the whale seen most often here.

From the boat you are looking for a long, dark back, a small hooked dorsal fin and a blow, often several breaths before a longer dive. Bryde’s whales do not lift their tail flukes when they dive, so if you are picturing the classic whale-tail photograph, this is not that kind of whale. An Auckland encounter is more often about a whale feeding or surfacing near the boat.

Look for the birds first

The action often starts with birds. Australasian gannets gather over a school of fish and dive into it from height, and below them you may find the fish driven up to the surface, common dolphins feeding, and sometimes a Bryde’s whale. New Zealand fishers call these feeding frenzies work-ups. Researchers in the Gulf have recorded gannets, shearwaters and Bryde’s whales joining feeding common dolphins, with whales following a foraging dolphin group for up to an hour and a half. If the crew suddenly turns towards a big flock of diving seabirds, that is usually why.

Humpbacks and the rarer whales

You can see humpback whales from Auckland, but they only pass through on migration and are an occasional sight. Over its years on the Gulf, the safari’s operator has also met blue, fin, sei and southern right whales alongside the Bryde’s whales it sees most often. Treat any of them as a bonus.

Orca

Orca are seen in the Gulf, and the operator says they pass through in every month, so one could turn up on any trip. They are not something you can plan for, though: the operator estimates there are fewer than 200 around the whole New Zealand coast. Orca are the largest members of the dolphin family, and a day with them on it is an unusually lucky one.

Common dolphins

Common dolphins are the main event on most Auckland trips. The Department of Conservation names the Hauraki Gulf and Northland as New Zealand’s hotspots for the short-beaked common dolphin, and the safari’s operator says it sees dolphins on more than 90% of its trips. They are fast and social, and you may see them riding the bow wave, leaping, travelling in a pod, feeding or racing alongside the boat.

There is no normal number to expect. A pod can be a handful of animals beside the boat, and common dolphins can also form schools of several thousand. Both operators say the large pods are more likely in the cooler months.

Bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins also live around Auckland, but you see them less predictably than common dolphins. They are bigger and heavier, up to about 3.9 metres, with the short beak most people picture when they think of a dolphin. They are classed as Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable in New Zealand’s 2024 marine mammal assessment, and a sighting is a bonus.

Seals, penguins and other sea life

The trip is not only about two animals. New Zealand fur seals, little penguins (kororā), sharks and rays are all possible, and in summer the safari’s operator sometimes sees warm-water visitors such as turtles and manta rays.

Seabirds

Do not ignore the birds while you wait for a whale. The Gulf is one of the most important seabird areas in the country: the operator counts 24 species breeding in or near the marine park, and four, including Buller’s shearwater and the black petrel, breed nowhere else in the world. The ones you see most often from the boat are Australasian gannets, shearwaters, terns, petrels and little penguins. Birds, fish, dolphins and whales are all tied together by the same food, which is what makes a day out here more than a list of sightings.

Are whale sightings guaranteed?

No. Auckland’s whales and dolphins are not captive, fed or trained, and the crews are searching for wild animals across a very large stretch of sea. You might see whales and dolphins, dolphins and no whale, a whale with little dolphin activity, several species, or occasionally no marine mammals at all.

Both operators soften that risk with a repeat trip, but read what the guarantee covers. It is a marine mammal guarantee, not a whale guarantee: if you see dolphins and no whale, the trip counts as a success and no voucher is due.

How good are the chances of seeing dolphins?

Good. The safari’s operator says it sees dolphins on more than 90% of its trips, and that fewer than 5% of its passengers see neither whales nor dolphins. That is a record across many trips. It cannot promise anything for yours, because the animals move from day to day.

How good are the chances of seeing a whale?

Lower than for dolphins, and less predictable. Resident Bryde’s whales mean there is a real chance in any month, but on the day a whale may be travelling, feeding, down on a dive of several minutes, or outside the area the boat can search. That is why both trips are sold as whale and dolphin watching.

When to go

There is no short whale-watching season in Auckland. Bryde’s whales and common dolphins live in the Gulf all year and both trips run in every month, which sets Auckland apart from places where whale watching follows a brief annual migration. The season changes three things: how comfortable you are on deck, how long the day is, and the timetable.

Summer, December to February, is the warm option, with highs of about 22 to 26°C and the longest days. Warmer weather does not mean more whales; you are choosing summer for comfort, and for the safari’s summer timetable of 7:30am and 1:00pm sailings. Autumn, March to May, cools gradually and still has the same resident whales and dolphins, which makes it easy to fit into a wider New Zealand trip.

Winter, June to August, is the season people tend to dismiss, and it has a real draw: both operators say the very large dolphin pods are more likely in the cooler months. The cost is the cold, with highs of about 12 to 17°C on land and less out on the water, so dress for it. Spring, September to November, brings longer days but also the windiest weather of the year, especially in October, so bring more layers than the city forecast suggests. Our guide to the best time for whale watching in Auckland goes month by month, with morning and afternoon sailings and how to plan around the weather.

Morning or afternoon?

No reliable rule says whales appear at 8am and vanish by lunchtime. Marine mammals follow their prey, the tides and the currents, so choose your departure for practical reasons. For much of the year there is little choice to make anyway: from April to November the safari has a single 10:30am sailing, and from December to March you choose between 7:30am and 1:00pm. The Tīkapa Moana cruise leaves at 9:15am, with an 11:30am wildlife-only sailing at weekends and on public holidays on its summer timetable.

Where you do have a choice, an earlier departure leaves the rest of the afternoon free and keeps you out of the hottest part of a summer day. A later one suits you if you dislike early starts or want to see something else in the city first. Neither gives you better wildlife.

How far the boats go

These are not short Waitematā Harbour sightseeing cruises. The boats leave the inner harbour and head out into the Hauraki Gulf, Tīkapa Moana, to wherever the wildlife is feeding or travelling, so you get far more open water than on a cruise under the Harbour Bridge. The safari’s search area covers most of the marine park, out past Kawau Island and towards Little Barrier Island, and the route changes every day because the animals move. On the way you can expect Devonport, Rangitoto and the other volcanic islands, and on a clear day the Coromandel in the distance.

A harbour cruise or a Gulf trip?

A harbour cruise usually stays around the city, the Harbour Bridge, Devonport and Westhaven, lasts one to two hours and is a sightseeing trip. A whale and dolphin trip goes much further, lasts 4.5 hours or more and is a wildlife trip, closer to a half-day marine safari than to a harbour cruise.

Book a harbour cruise if you have an hour or two, the skyline and the bridge are what you want to see, and you would prefer calmer water. The 90-minute Auckland Harbour Sightseeing Cruise with Live Commentary and the Auckland Harbour Sailing Cruise (90 Minutes) are the usual choices. Book whale watching if wildlife matters more, you have at least half a day, and you do not mind open water and a route nobody can fix in advance. Our harbour cruise or ferry guide and our guide to which Auckland harbour cruise is right for you cover the shorter trips.

On board

The boat

Both trips use larger purpose-built boats instead of small speedboats, which matters when you are spending several hours offshore. On the safari’s Dolphin Explorer you get open outdoor viewing decks, a limited amount of indoor seating, two toilets and a licensed café, with room for up to 100 passengers. Most people sit outside, where you can get wet, so bring a showerproof jacket; the only indoor seating with a decent view of the wildlife is upstairs. A catamaran also gives you room to cross to the other side when an animal surfaces there. The Tīkapa Moana boat has cabin seating, toilets and a licensed café, and passengers need to be able to manage stairs to board.

Where to stand

Do not get attached to one seat, because the whales do not know which side of the boat you are on. When something appears, listen to the crew, move calmly, keep the narrow walkways clear and leave room at the rail for children and shorter passengers. An upper open deck is good for spotting animals further off, and the lower side decks are the place to be when dolphins start riding the bow.

Can you swim with the dolphins?

No. Both are viewing trips. Swimming is not allowed at any point on the safari, and the only swim on the Tīkapa Moana cruise is at the island stop, away from the wildlife. If you came across these trips while looking for a dolphin swim, they are not that.

How close will you get?

That depends mostly on the animal. Every commercial whale and dolphin trip in New Zealand needs a permit from the Department of Conservation, and both of these operators hold one. The Department’s rules for boats ask them to stay at least 50 metres from any whale and 200 metres from a baleen or sperm whale mother with her calf, to slow to idle within 300 metres, and to keep no more than three vessels that close. Dolphins, though, often choose to come in on their own, riding the bow, swimming alongside or crossing under the boat. At other times you watch from further away. A good encounter is measured more by what the animals are doing than by how many metres away they are.

Is Auckland whale watching ethical?

It can be, if you choose a responsible, permitted operator. All marine mammals in New Zealand are protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978, which makes it an offence to harass or disturb them, and the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992 set out how boats behave around them. The signs of a responsible trip are easy to spot from the deck: no chasing, no feeding, slow and careful approaches, limited time with each animal, a crew that explains what the animals are doing, and a link to conservation or research. The safari’s operator is also certified by the World Cetacean Alliance as a responsible whale-watching operator.

The research on board

The research is a genuine part of the safari. The Dolphin Explorer has carried researchers from the University of Auckland’s Marine Mammal Ecology Group for the whole of the company’s history, and helped collect data for the first estimate of how many Bryde’s whales use the Gulf. Massey University’s Cetacean Ecology Research Group also uses the boat, and its work includes the first estimate of common dolphin numbers in the Gulf. On board, passengers can join citizen-science projects that record water clarity and colour. That gives a curious traveller something to do during the quiet spells, when nothing is in sight.

Is Auckland whale watching worth it?

Yes, if wildlife matters to you. The draw is the combination: resident whales, common dolphins and a large marine park, with the boat a short walk from the city-centre hotels. You can have breakfast near the Sky Tower and be searching for whales later that morning.

It is a particularly good use of a day if you have never seen whales in the wild, love dolphins, are interested in nature, marine conservation or photography, are travelling with older children, have at least two full days in Auckland, and want something beyond city sightseeing.

You might skip it if you only have one afternoon in Auckland, you get badly seasick, the forecast for your whole stay is rough, you have already booked whale watching elsewhere in New Zealand, or the skyline is all you are after. For that last one, book a 90-minute harbour cruise instead.

Auckland or Kaikōura?

Visitors often compare the two, but they are not the same trip. Auckland is about Bryde’s whales, common dolphins and the Hauraki Gulf, with year-round wildlife and a departure from the city centre that slots into a city break. Kaikōura, on the east coast of the South Island, is best known for sperm whales in deep water with mountains behind them, and it ranks among New Zealand’s best-known whale-watching places. If your trip includes both and you love wildlife, you could reasonably do both.

Auckland or the Bay of Islands?

Auckland’s advantage is convenience: you leave from the middle of a major city instead of travelling north for a separate trip, and the Gulf gives you the chance of common dolphins, Bryde’s whales and seabirds on the same day. If your itinerary already includes the Bay of Islands, though, you may decide one wildlife cruise is enough.

Sea conditions and seasickness

Both boats leave the sheltered inner harbour for the open Gulf, and on a windy day you will feel the swell more than on a harbour cruise. Conditions range from very calm to quite lively, and spring, October in particular, tends to be the windiest time of year. It is always cooler out on the water than in town, even in summer.

If you are prone to motion sickness, take it seriously, because you are aboard for 4.5 hours or longer. The safari’s operator recommends taking seasickness medication at least an hour before boarding; it does not sell medicine on board, though it does sell Sea-Bands, ginger tablets and ginger beer. Other things that help: eat a light meal beforehand, stay outside in the fresh air, watch the horizon, avoid reading or staring at your phone, and stand near the middle of the boat, where the movement can feel less. Follow the instructions for any medication you take.

If the trip is cancelled

Either operator can cancel or change a trip for strong wind, a rough sea or unsafe weather. On open water a cancellation usually means the skipper is being sensible. The safari’s operator contacts passengers before 10am on the day and posts updates on its trip status page, but it is up to you to check that your trip is running. If your trip is cancelled, you can move to another date or take a refund. Keep your plans flexible if you can, and do not leave whale watching until your last few hours in Auckland.

Whale watching with children

These trips can be very good for families, because unpredictable wildlife tends to hold a child’s attention better than another sightseeing tour. On the safari, anyone under 18 must be with an adult and supervised throughout, child life jackets are available and can be worn for the whole trip on request, and there is no free fare for infants: every child from birth to 14 pays the child price. Explore charges the child fare for ages 5 to 15 on the Tīkapa Moana cruise and lets under-fives travel free.

Whether 4.5 hours is too long depends more on the child than on the cruise. Wildlife trips have quiet spells, sometimes long ones, before anything happens. For young children, bring snacks, water, warm clothes, sunscreen and something quiet to do, and do not promise a five-year-old four hours of dolphins jumping beside the boat.

What to wear and bring

Dress warmer than you would for walking around central Auckland. Even on a sunny summer day the wind on open water makes the deck feel cooler than the city, and in winter you need proper warm layers. The safari’s operator asks for flat-soled shoes and will ask anyone in heels to take them off; Explore asks for flat shoes too.

A sensible list:

• a warm layer, plus a windproof, showerproof jacket
• comfortable trousers or shorts and flat, closed shoes
• a sun hat (or a warm hat in winter), sunglasses and sunscreen
• your phone or camera, with a charged battery
• a reusable water bottle (the safari refills it free)
• seasickness medication, if you need it, and any personal medication
• small binoculars, if you own a pair
• a card for food and drinks on board
• swimwear and a towel if you are taking the Tīkapa Moana cruise with an island stop

Leave the heavy camera kit at home unless wildlife photography is a serious hobby, because you will be moving around the boat. Before you board, check your bags and shoes for soil, seeds and pests, since both boats visit or pass pest-free islands.

Food on board

Food is not included on either trip. The safari’s café sells toasted sandwiches, sausage rolls, muffins and drinks, including beer and wine, and you can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks. On the Tīkapa Moana cruise lunch is not included, but sandwiches, snacks and drinks are sold on board. Plan the island stop too: Rotoroa has no food for sale and no rubbish bins, so take your own food and your rubbish home, while Man O’ War has a beachfront tasting room and restaurant, where Explore recommends booking ahead. For the safari, eat beforehand and carry water.

Photography tips

Start a little wider than you think you need. If you zoom tight on one dolphin it can leap out of the frame before you press the shutter, and you can crop later. Use burst mode, because dolphins move fast and a burst gives you a much better chance of a full leap, a bow ride or several animals in one frame. Watch the birds too: a mass of diving gannets often marks a feeding event, so point the camera there before everyone else notices the whale.

On a proper camera, keep the shutter speed fast, since both the animal and the boat are moving; a fast shutter matters more than a low ISO. Photograph the behaviour, not just the body. A dorsal fin proves you saw a whale, but a blow, a feeding lunge, dolphins jumping, gannets diving, a whale with an island behind it or two species together make the better picture. Drones are not allowed on the safari, and nothing, including a GoPro, goes in the water.

Then put the camera down. A wild whale beside the boat is far more impressive in person than as the 73rd near-identical shot in your camera roll.

Getting to the boat

Where the boats leave from

The safari leaves from Berth 9, Eastern Viaduct Marina, Viaduct Harbour, at the western end of Quay Street. Arriving on foot, you will see the boat opposite the entrance to the New Zealand Maritime Museum, and you check in with the crew at the top of the boarding ramp.

The Tīkapa Moana cruise checks in at Explore’s booking kiosk in Viaduct Harbour, at the end of Quay Street and diagonally across from the New Zealand Maritime Museum. Both are an easy walk from the city centre.

How early to arrive

Aim to be at the Viaduct 20 to 30 minutes before departure. Both operators ask you to check in at least 15 minutes before sailing, and on the safari your seat can be released to standby passengers if you are late, with no refund. Give yourself longer if you are parking, do not know the Viaduct, are coming from outside the centre or are travelling at rush hour.

Do you need a car?

No. Not needing one is among the trip’s biggest advantages: no hire car, no transfer and no hour-long drive out of the city. From Britomart, Commercial Bay, Wynyard Quarter, central Queen Street or the Viaduct itself you can walk to the departure point, and the safari’s operator encourages passengers to come by bus, train or ferry. If you do drive, there are car parks around the city centre, and the operator suggests an open-air car park for a campervan.

Fitting it into your Auckland trip

With one day in Auckland, we would not spend most of it whale watching unless marine wildlife is your top priority. A morning in the city, a harbour cruise, the waterfront and a viewpoint such as Mount Eden make a fuller first day.

With two days it becomes much easier to recommend. Use half of one day for the safari and keep the rest for the city. With three days or more, we would definitely consider it: Auckland makes much more sense once you have been past the inner harbour and out into the Gulf.

Whale watching and Waiheke on the same day

We would avoid booking two separate trips on one day, because a wildlife search can run late and a missed connection spoils both. If you want both, the Tīkapa Moana cruise is the neat answer, since its island stop can be at Man O’ War on Waiheke. For a full day of Waiheke wineries, give the island its own day with the Waiheke Island Return Fast Ferry from Auckland, and see our ferry page for the options.

Whale watching and Rangitoto

The same goes for Rangitoto. You will see it close up from the wildlife boat, but that is not the same as climbing it: the summit track takes about an hour each way from the wharf, and the ferries run only a few times a day. If Rangitoto matters to you, give the whales one day and the Return Ferry to Rangitoto Island at least half of another.

Is it a cruise at all?

Technically, yes, but it makes a different kind of day from a relaxed sunset sail around the harbour. You travel further, you spend time searching, the boat goes where the wildlife is, and the route can change on the way. It is closer to a marine wildlife expedition on a comfortable passenger boat, which is exactly what makes it interesting.

Before you book

Run through these first:

• Length: 4.5 hours, or most of the day with an island stop?
• Focus: wildlife only, or wildlife and an island?
• Departure time: which sailings run on your date?
• Return time: does it clash with dinner or another tour?
• Guarantee: what exactly happens if no marine mammals are seen?
• Voucher: could you realistically use a repeat trip before you leave Auckland?
• Weather: what happens if the operator cancels?
• Food: what is sold on board, and what is on the island?
• Children: the age rules and fares for your trip
• Seasickness: take medication before you board if you need it
• Clothing: bring a windproof layer whatever the season

We would not choose a trip because it seems to promise one particular species. Wildlife does not keep a schedule, which is part of the appeal.

If birds interest you as much as whales, the Tiritiri Matangi Island Ferry (our breakdown) takes you to a pest-free island sanctuary for $59, and our ferry page covers it with the other island trips. To compare whale watching with the rest of what is on the water, see our guide to the best boat tours in Auckland, whether a harbour cruise is worth it, or the homepage. Ready to go? Check availability for the safari.