"See tourism and conservation working together"

 

Join us for a Peninsula Encounters wildlife tour and discover the natural wonders of the Otago Peninsula.

 

Our visitors enjoy exceptional experiences and close-up viewing of yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions, albatross and fur seals. Explore around the inlets and visit remote beaches. Expert local guides will take you to spectacular wildlife spots, ensuring you have unrivalled access to protected locations and amazing viewing opportunities.

 

We offer three slightly different versions of our tour. For the best opportunity to see a diverse range of species, we recommend the Peninsula Encounters + Wildlife Cruise. If boats aren't your thing, or if you don't have great sea legs, then perhaps our land based Peninsula Encounters + Albatross Centre Tour is better suited to you.

 

We've been described as the highlight of many visits to New Zealand and rank highly amongst Dunedin attractions on review platforms. We are a multi-award winning business with over thirty years’ experience in wildlife conservation and tours. Based in Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand, we pride ourselves on our conservation ethic and the quality of our sustainable nature and wildlife experiences.

 

We provide a complimentary pick-up and drop-off service from hotels, motels, backpackers, holiday parks and the iSite visitor centre (we don't pick-up from airbnb's or private residences). If you're staying on the Otago Peninsula we also can pick-up from the Portobello Store.

 

Check-out our tour options here!

 

Our Credibility

Over the years' we've received many accolades, including six New Zealand Tourism Awards. We operate in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner and currently maintain a Qualmark Gold rating. Our organisation is benchmarked by the Green Globe EarthCheck system, to the highest environmental standard of operation based on agenda 21 of the Rio Earth Conference. 

 

We are particularly active in conservation. Our main focus has predominantly benefited yellow-eyed penguins. Our principle endeavour was a long term project to increase this species available breeding area by replanting native habitat on a neglected part of the peninsula. 

 

In October 2021, we amalgamated with another leader in Dunedin tourism, Monarch Wildlife Cruises. Then, in June 2024, we also joined forces with The OPERA (Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance), a conservation focused eco reserve working to save the world's rarest penguin - the yellow-eyed!  By bringing our three organisations together we are able to provide higher quality tours with unbeatable viewing opportunities.

 

A portion of your ticket cost directly funds our ongoing conservation work. Projects include rehabilitating sick and injured penguins, supplementary feeding for chicks, replanting of native bush habitats, predator trapping initiatives, etc.