Akaroa Shore Excursion: Small-Group Wildlife and Sea-Kayaking Safari in Akaroa

Akaroa, New Zealand

While you’re in port in Akaroa, explore the region’s volcanic basin waters on this 3-hour small-group wildlife and sea-kayaking safari. Paddle along the coastline by kayak with a guide, and keep watch over the waves and skies for sightings of native New Zealand animal and bird life. Pause for a snack break on a nearby beach, and enjoy a little free time to explore, swim, or soak up the rays at your leisure. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 12 people.

When your cruise ship docks in Akaroa, stroll through town to the kayak base to meet your guide and begin your 3-hour tour. Following an informative safety briefing, prepare your kayak for launch then take to Akaroa’s volcanic basin waters.

During your tour, paddle along the coastline and listen as your guide points out places of interest and any wildlife that you come across. After approximately one hour, stop for a 20-minute break on a remote beach and enjoy free time to swim or sunbathe at your leisure.

Replenish lost energy with a light snack, then paddle onward as your guide shares stories from the region’s colorful past. As you explore, admire panoramic views over the shoreline from your vantage point on the waves.

When your kayak adventure comes to an end, paddle your kayak back to base — an easy 10-minute walk from the wharf where the cruise ships come in — to conclude your tour.

USD $95.00

Traveler Reviews

Review by:   Douglas D,    February 2018
Loved this kayaking tour! The guides were excellent and very knowledeable about the history and wild life of Akaroa. We even had a hector dolphin float under our kayak. Akaroa is a beautiful place and this was an amazing way to experience it.

Review by:   Gayle C,    February 2018
Our kayaking tour of Akaroa was awesome. We were able to meet the guides after a short walk from our cruise ship. Two guides accompanied the small group and provided excellent safety and paddling instruction. During the trip, which mostly followed the shore, they gave interesting information about the wildlife, flora and geology of the area. The paddling was easy and very enjoyable. We're so pleased that we chose this excursion in Akaroa.

Review by:   Cary A,    February 2018
This was a nice, easy kayak trip in the bay. The staff and guides were great. The kayaks were great too, really easy with the rudder and pedals to steer. The scenery is very nice. However, I was disappointed that this was not really a wildlife trip so if you're wanting to see wildlife or if you want an exhilarating, adventurous kayak trip, this is not the trip for you not many birds, no marine wildlife, with the caveat that this of course is dependent on the time of year and seeing wildlife is never guaranteed. I might be a bit biased because I'm a biologist and when something says 'wildlife' in the excursion title I expect that at least there will be the chance, however, the habitat/landscape of this trip is not conducive to the potential for viewing much wildlife. Even with binoculars we only picked up a few birds in the trees that the others didn't see right on the shore like gulls, Canada geese, and the spotted shags that are everywhere.

Review by:   Goldstein,    February 2018
The Bay of Akaroa was beautiful and was easily viewed from the kayak. We did not get to see any penguins, whales, dolphins. I was dissappointed not to have seen those wildlife features.

Review by:   Charles C,    January 2018
Great adventure. Allie was a wonderful guide and provided for a great experience

Review by:   Vidalani,    January 2018
Wow, you have to try this! Fun and knowledgeable guides on safety and wildlife! Friendly and inclusive! Felt right at home on the water! Many Mahalos everyone!

Review by:   Melissa T,    December 2017
Best tour ever!! We saw mom and baby Hector's dolphins right as we started and then raced others in the kayaks. A pod of them stayed with us the whole time. It was amazing. Highly recommended.

Review by:   Ronald B,    March 2017
Akaroa was one of the ports of call on our round New Zealand cruise that we had booked. We were not impressed with the excursions offered by the cruise company, so searched for something more to our taste on the internet, and found the Sea Kayaking Safari, which we booked and paid for through Viator. Once we landed at Akaroa we followed the instructions to the rendezvous, and café about a 10 minute walk from the Akaroa pier where we were landed by tender. Unfortunately the instructions were not very clear, and we walked past the rendezvous and seemed to be heading out of town! Fortunately there was a motel nearby, and the receptionist there knew where the café in question was located._br/_ We arrived at the rendezvous and still had time for a coffee, and wandered down towards the water, where we met Grenville, our guide. There was one other couple on the safari that day, and we were soon launched on our kayaks, with the help of Allie, the other partner in the Sea Kayaking enterprise._br/_ Akaroa is ideal for sea kayaking it is a large lagoon - basically a flooded crater of an enormous extinct volcano, so that the water surface is sheltered from the ocean. It is frequented by different species of birds, some of them being quite rare, and which Grenville pointed out to us as we paddled around the shores of the lagoon. They were two-person kayaks, equipped with neoprene skirts which prevented ingress of water when paddling. The kayaks were fairly easy to manage, and had rudders which made steering a bit easier, however these only function effectively when the kayaks are going reasonably fast. I have experience canoeing so it didn't take long to work out the correct paddling technique. People lacking previous experience would need to spend some time learning how to handle the paddles._br/_ Grenville took us by interesting rock formations pointing out the different forms of lava that could be seen, as well as telling us something of the bird species we saw. One part of the trip involved crossing a more open stretch of water that was a bit more challenging and quite exhilarating._br/_ I estimate that we were out on the kayaks for about 90 minutes, which was sufficient. Anyone thinking of doing this trip should be aware that to operate a kayak you have to sit on a hard seat with your legs stretched out. Some people may find this a bit hard on the back._br/_ We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and possibly could have continued another 30 minutes or so. We landed on a beach on the other side of the lagoon, where Allie was waiting for us with the van, to take us back to town._br/_ As cameras are likely to be splashed in the kayaking environment, Grenville took the photographs with a water proof camera, and these were sent on by email, so we now have the pictures of what we did on a very enjoyable and unique experience. We would recommend the Sea Kayaking Safari to anyone who wants to have an interesting outdoor experience in a unique marine location.

Review by:   Roy B,    December 2016
We had a marvelous time with our guides. They were so in tune with the expertise of the members and handled each one according to their ability. Beautiful coastline and an overall fun day on the water.

Review by:   Emma P,    December 2016
This was a great tour - even as beginners we were welcome! Very helpful and patient guides, and the scenery was divine!

Review by:   John E,    December 2016
Really good trip, tailored to the ability of the group.

Review by:   Kelly M,    November 2016
Akaroa is a beautiful and quaint town and our experience kayaking in Akaroa was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip to New Zealand. Gravil and Allie made our experience unique and gave us a novel perspective from the coastline looking out for Hector dolphins, penguins, mussels, and other native marine life while sharing the history of the beautiful surroundings. Well worth the time! We were a group of four and due to expected weather in the afternoon they were able to accommodate our schedule and head out early and make the most of a beautiful morning and early afternoon. They took pictures for us during our kayaking trip, so you don't need to worry about bringing your camera or phone, and sent us an easy to access Google link where we could download our pictures at our convenience once we returned home. They watched over our electronics and other items we did not need on the kayak by locking them in the van. Additionally, they gave us a short tour around town and pointed out a wonderful restaurant for lunch. It was a wonderful excursion from our cruise ship we would highly recommend!

Review by:   Christopher S,    April 2016
This was a fantastic experience. The location was wonderful and our guides were professional, informative and really nice people. Even though it was a cloudy day we both thoroughly enjoyed our paddle. The highlight was the dolphin swimming around our kayak. If we are ever in Akaroa again we will definitely do this trip again.

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