Bird Watching and Dolphin Eco-Tour from Picton

Picton, New Zealand

This Wildlife and Dolphin tour offers an amazing, fully-guided experience to complete your visit to Marlborough!

You will have the opportunity to see rare seas birds, marine mammals, and endangered land birds. Led by enthusiastic Marine Biologists, you may even catch a glimpse of the King Shag and South Island Saddleback. Search for Dolphins in calm sheltered waters before traveling to Motuara Bird Sanctuary Island.

This cruise provides the opportunity to view a variety of land and sea birds including the very rare King Shag. We spend more time with the rare species so Birdwatchers can get those prized images or views they want. Found only in the Marlborough Sounds, the King Shag is considered a prize among birdwatchers.

Learn about the wildlife from our degree qualified guides as we take the time to enjoy the species that call these waters home. Predator-free Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary is a bird-lovers paradise and home to blue penguins, South Island Saddleback, Kereru, Bellbirds, Yellow-crowned Parakeets (Kakariki), New Zealand Falcon and South Island Robins. Enjoy a 1-hour bush walk to the top of the island for the added bonus of amazing view across the Cook Strait to the North Island. The birds here are plentiful, fearless and very vocal and if you sit quietly, they may even come within an arm’s reach! Other species likely encountered include dolphins (Dusky, Bottlenose, Hector's, Common or Orca), New Zealand Fur Seals, Spotted, Pied and Little Shags, Variable Oystercatchers, White-fronted terns, Australasian Gannets, Fluttering Shearwaters, reef and white-faced herons, arctic skuas (seasonal) and much, much more!

Please note: This itinerary can change based on what time of the year you visit and weather conditions