Bay Explorer - Dolphin and Wildlife Cruises — Attraction in North Island

It was fantastic to go out today on Bay Explorer - Dolphin and Wildlife Cruise. Not only is it just an unbelievably awesome day out on the waters of the Bay of Plenty, but we start the day with a view not usually seen from land, of Trinity Wharf Tauranga, the Tauranga waterfront, the Port of Tauranga, and cruise ships berthed at Mount Maunganui. The crew, with skipper/owner Brandon Stone, are top professionals around health and safety, and with keeping on time with collecting passengers at the Tauranga waterfront. Brandon has a well-liked 'laid back' demeanour, but behind this casual relaxed approach that puts everyone at ease, is a commitment to New Zealand's high maritime standards that leave you in no doubt that he's got everything planned and covered. After an introductory talk and health/safety briefing, plus some jokes along the way, it's time to leave the Tauranga waterfront and head to the Tauranga harbour entrance, past Mount Maunganui, and out into the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, Brandon provides knowledgable and informative commentary across loud speakers that can be heard on both lower and upper decks. He tells his passengers how to keep an eye out for any sightings of marine life, while he and his crew are also watching through binoculars. For us today it was mere minutes from leaving the harbour, before we were surrounded by dolphins. We also saw little blue penguins, shearwater birds skimming along just above the surface of the water, and hammerhead sharks. Previously on other trips on Bay Explorer I've seen albatross, huge sunfish and whales. All the necessary amenities are aboard, and you can either bring your own lunch or order one prior to the trip. There is also a bar on board. When marine life is spotted, Bay Explorer slows down, providing opportunity for passengers to go up to the bow and see things up close in the water below. Today's trip was to go and view wildlife, but other trips I've been on with Bay Explorer there have been opportunities to swim and visit closer to Mayor and Motiti Islands. There are also evening cruises available after dinner at Trinity Wharf. Groups can book private functions, in fact there are so many ways to experience and enjoy either a harbour cruise or a dolphin and wildlife cruise out onto the Pacific Ocean, and it's perfect for any age group. The Bay Explorer experience is at the top of things to do in Tauranga, in my view, and the crew work exceptionally hard to ensure every person has a unique and memorable experience. I would go every day if I could, it's...

Waste of time and money. Looks like all the activity is most likely all bark and no bite. Just unnecessarily hyped. We didn’t find any dolphins and all what we saw were some seals. Would have given them a 2 star if there was anything exciting besides the seagulls that could been seen here and there. Well we didn’t have to pay $170 for watching seagulls. They didn’t even bother giving us a 30% refund if they couldn’t deliver as told. They have a 30% refund for swimming with dolphins and could have done it with miserable activity that the team promised as exciting. Not worth the money or time. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Looks like they are not the experts like they advertise for the job. If you’re an expert make sure you deliver. Bay Explorer. Could have gone for a cruise ship journey if it was to spent time and money travelling through the sea. All they have are snacks like crisps and cup noodles. Should get more hot food for long disappointing trips. Not recommended at all!!!!

Reply to the owner for his say, Nice mate and yes guaranteed results should be at captivity. So we would have to go to an aquarium and no please Im an animal lover and would hate to see such wonderful beings in captivity. The question was simple that like many other places do even like the whale watching in Auckland do; paying $170 for a trip where we could not find anything just in the sea all day for hours and for you to say its misfortunate is not what we paid for. Your company could have reassured us another day free of cost like other places do to ensure customer service at the very best. Thats a lot of money for someone to say sorry mate no luck better luck next time!!! You do have a 30% money back scheme for swimming with dolphins and if you could not find any. Similar to that something that makes us want to come back or recommend you to our friends and foe. Really disappointing and thanks again for the reply that still wasn’t helpful. Have to go to captivity. Yeah and...

As the name suggests ‘the Best day ever’. We are a family of 4 who booked for the 8 hour Bay explorer trip with Brandon (skipper), Amy and Jack! This was a birthday present for our older girl who turned 10 on the day. Our daughter had (according to her) “The BEST BIRTHDAY EVER” and a big thank you to all the crew members who made it a very special day for her. The trip was thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling for children and adults alike as we ran into three pods of dolphins two of which were large pods with over a 100 dolphins which put on quite a show for us often swimming very close to the boat and leaping above the waves. We also had the good fortune of seeing the worlds smallest penguin at close quarters, a variety of fish and birds. For the more active of the passengers there were a variety of activities as we moored off the coast of the one of the islands. These included snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming. There is a variety of food and beverages on board including alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, if you prefer to bring your own food there are BBQ facilities on board. The crew are very well informed about the marine life that we come across on these tours and are extremely adept at spotting wildlife that are not easily visible to the untrained eye. The passengers are also instructed on how and what to look out for in terms of marine life. Jack, Amy and Brandon are all very friendly and approachable. It was a truly amazing experience for all four of us. Thank you again Brandon, Amy and Jack for making it the...