Kaikōura · Small-group nature tours
Book a wildlife encounter.
Seal colony walks, albatross and seabird boat trips, rock-pool ecology tours and night-sky stargazing — led by local naturalist guides with DOC concessions.
Our tours
Four encounters, one coastline.
Showing 4 of 4 tours
- Seal colony walk1.5 hours · 2km flat coastal track · All ages · Meet at the peninsula car park$65
- Seabird boat trip3 hours · Open-water boat · Ages 8+ · Meet at South Bay Marina$145
- Rock pool ecology2 hours · Rocky shore, wet feet · Ages 5+ · Meet at Point Kean$55
- Night sky stargazing2.5 hours · 1km walk in the dark, uneven ground · Ages 12+ · Meet at Mt Fyffe car park$75
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Gallery
Scenes from recent tours
Safety
Your safety is planned, not assumed.
- All guides hold current Outdoor First Aid and VHF radio certificates.
- Boat trips carry EPIRB, life jackets (all sizes), and a throw bag. Maximum 10 passengers.
- Seal walks maintain a 10-metre distance from animals at all times. Guides carry a deterrent spray as a last resort.
- Night tours provide head torches, reflective vests and a handheld GPS tracker. Two guides minimum.
- We cancel if winds exceed 30 knots, swells exceed 2 metres, or visibility drops below 200 metres. Full refund or reschedule.
- Accessible: the seal walk car park has paved paths for the first 400 metres. Contact us to discuss your needs.
Today's conditions
Check before you book.
- Seal colony walk
Open — calm conditions
Last updated: - Seabird boat trip
Open — light swell
Swell: 0.8m. Wind: 12 knots NW. - Rock pool ecology
Caution — slippery rocks
Wear closed shoes. Tide: low at 2:14pm. - Night sky stargazing
Open — clear skies forecast
Moonrise: 11:42pm. Best viewing before then.
Conditions updated each morning at 7am. Call 03 319 0000 for same-day updates.
What visitors say
From our guests
We saw a Hutton's shearwater, three albatross species and a pod of dusky dolphins — all in one morning. Our guide Tāne knew every bird by call before it was even visible. Unforgettable.
Took my seven-year-old on the rock pool tour. She touched her first sea star, learned what a chiton is, and talked about it for the entire drive home to Christchurch.
The night sky tour was the highlight of our NZ trip. No light pollution, binoculars provided, and Mere pointed out the Southern Cross, Matariki and three satellites. We lay on the ground and just stared.