Auckland's Whale & Dolphin Safari - What You See

This really is a safari - every trip is different. On almost all our trips we find Common dolphins; pod sizes can vary from just a few to many hundreds of dolphins. We see Bryde’s whales throughout the year. Other species seen are Bottlenose dolphins and Orca (Killer whales).

Common dolphins
Delphinus delphis
Common dolphins are powerful, quick swimmers found in the Gulf throughout the year. Their beautiful colouration and playfulness around the boat makes them both endearing and very photogenic. We are lucky to frequently encounter pods with babies.

Bryde’s whales
Balaenoptera edeni
Bryde’s whales can grow up to 15m and weigh 20 tonnes or more. The size and scale of these whales is awesome. On our most dramatic trips we see them in feeding frenzies involving school fish, sea birds, dolphins and whales.

Orca (Killer whale)
Orcinus orca
Orca are the largest and most powerful members of the dolphin family. We don’t encounter Orca often; when we do they’re always stunning.

Bottlenose dolphins
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins are probably the most recognised of all dolphins. We tend to see them in smaller pods travelling around the rocks & bays of the Gulf.

Birds
We encounter a wide range of sea birds, most often Gannets, Shearwaters and Little Blue Penguins. We also see rare sea birds including Spotted Shags, Giant Petrels and Albatross.

Fish
Species we commonly see include Kingfish, Kahawai, Mackerel and Pilchards. We occasionally encounter Hammerhead, Bronze Whaler and Mako sharks.

Auckland's Whale & Dolphin search a large part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.

Did you know?

An orca can see in colour underwater as well as above the water?