Carino Wildlife Cruises — Attraction in Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community

We only had one day to cruise the Bay of Islands and we so chose well with Carino Sailing and Dolphins! I saw other cruises out in the bay and they were absolutely rammed with people pushing eachother to see the marine life. Whilst I was literally lying down on the trampoline, chilling and taking the beauty all in!

There were about 20 passengers on the boat, we all had lots of space to see all the amazing sights this bay has to offer. Also on a catermaran you really are very close to the water so you feel like you're having really close, personal encounters with marine life. We used a motor to get out to the bay quickly and managed to get the sails up to experience peace and tranquility of sailing.

On our trip we saw gannets diving for fish, pied shags, oyster catchers, a raft of 4 blue penguins and 2 pods of dolphins... one with a calf! So, so amazing!! The crew on this boat are outstanding and a real credit to the conservation efforts that are taking place in the bay of islands, never bending or breaking the rules. They were also fountains of knowledge on all the dolphins in the bay, they knew their names, events that had happened in their lives and even how old many of them were.

We anchored at Motuarohia Island which is just heaven on earth! We swam in the lagoon (some snorkeled too), ventured over to the rock pools and climbed the track up to the viewing platform where you have breath taking 360° views of the Bay of Islands. We even got a glimpse of the Auckland to Russell boat race!

Then we were taxied back to the boat for a BBQ lunch. After lunch we heard and saw a bit better of history about the Bay of Islands by stopping at Cook's Cove. Saw the unique geological black rocks and cruised back to Pahia.

All this and I have not even mentioned how friendly, fun and fantastic every member of the crew were. I've been traveling for 7 weeks, been on tonnes of boat trips and this one by far has been the best. I really do recommend that you choose to have your Bay of Islands adventure with Carino Sailing...

I cannot stress enough how truly wonderful this experience was. My wife and I are possitively buzzing, hours after our trip. First of all, upon boarding the vessel, we are welcomed by our Captain Vanessa and by Bruce and Wayne. That's right, Bruce Wayne was on the Catamaran. I am instantly at ease. They were so welcoming that we felt like VIPs.

My wife and myself were the only passengers that morning so we thought perhaps it would be quiet and boring but to our pleasant surprise Vanessa and Wayne took turns informing us about the area and telling us stories that kept us entertained.

We had a chance to explore and island with beautiful flora and fauna, we got to swim in a secluded calm beach and we were served classic kiwi BBQ favourites.

The highlight of the trip came next. Just as we were losing hope of seeing marine mammals a pod of bottlenosed dolphins emerged from the waters to give us a wonderful aquatic show to rival seaworld. Vanessa made it clear that these were wild dolphins and as such we weren't allowed to actively search for them but through their communication, the captain was able to share with us this amazing view. In fact, the Dolphins stayed with us for so long, the crew had to switch off the engine so they would get bored and leave.

All in all it was a wonderful experience made extra special by the genuine good nature of Vanessa, Wayne and Bruce. We would be fools to not avail of their service should we find ourselves in the area again in the future. I cannot say more wonderful things about you guys. This was an awesome...

If I could give ten stars I would! My friend and I booked this cruise for NYE day and it was the best way to round out the year! The staff were so friendly, informative and welcoming, and what was so special is that even though only my friend and I had booked that day, they still took us out! We fully expected them to cancel due to low numbers (thanks covid) but they still took us out and were more than happy to do so. This is testament to their passion for what they do, it’s obvious this is more than just a “business” for them, it’s their way of life. We helped do the sails, (not sure how helpful we were but it was fun!), learnt a lot about the bay of islands, and saw a pod of Orca! This is rare and we felt so fortunate to have this experience. The Orca were off the usual course but they wanted to make the trip special for us and went out of their way so we could view the Orca. And man was it worth it! Absolutely magical! Anchoring in a small bay and jumping of the back of the catamaran into the beautiful sea while they prepared lunch, then sunning ourselves on the nets at the front of the catamaran with a beer afterwards was actual perfection. If you want an experienced, local, passionate crew who care deeply for the environment and making sure you have the best day, book this tour! I bet you will also be posting a review and wanting to rate ten stars afterwards! Thanks team again for the...