Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours — Attraction in South Island

I recently took a wildlife tour with Monarch Cruises departing from Wellers Rock Wharf in Dunedin, and it was an exceptional experience. The location (813 Harington Point Road) is easily accessible with parking available for campervans (please note this location is 45 minutes drive from the main office), and upon arrival, the Monarch signs lead you to the boat. The check-in process was quick and simple due to the small group size.

The hour-long boat tour provided fantastic views of the Dunedin coastline, including sightings of a resident fur seal and albatrosses. The boat had comfortable and spacious seating, with snacks, drinks, and souvenirs available for purchase onboard. I was impressed by the provided warm jackets and binoculars, enhancing the wildlife viewing experience.

To avoid motion sickness, it is recommended to stay at the back of the boat, especially in rougher waters near the albatross area. However, from rear to front seats, you have a great vantage point to spot wildlife. The experienced captain pointed out various creatures and shared interesting information about them, including the possibility of spotting blue penguins.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and found it to be of great value. With only four slots available per day, booking in advance is recommended as they tend to fill up quickly. For those short on time, taking the last boat and returning by 6 pm still allows for a visit to the Blue Penguin Colony excursion at 8 pm to see the world's smallest penguins. I highly recommend Monarch Cruises for a memorable wildlife...

I booked the Monarch Wildlife Cruise complete package for my Canadian cousins and myself in 2017. We went on their 50th Wedding Anniversary and it was a magical day. At 9am we went by coach along the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle where we had a tour of the castle and morning tea. Then we continued by coach to the Albatross Colony and Wildlife centre. This included a close up viewing of the albatrosses and also the disappearing gun at Taiaroa Heads. We also had lunch at the Wildlife Centre and then it was back on the coach to Penguin Place where we stood behind viewing boxes to see the Yellow Eyed Penguins on their nests. From there it was a short journey to the wharf where we boarded the Monarch for cruise on the Otago Harbour. Then we looked up to our right to see an adult Albatross swoop down off the cliffs catching a wind draft. Seeing that made you realise why they are called the Royal Albatross. Then to take the magic of the day to it's next level we looked to our left and there were a mother, father and baby Orca leaping out of the water again and again. They stayed with the boat and were reasonably close. We followed them for sometime before heading back to dock at Port Chalmers. The coach picked us up and we were back in Dunedin by 7pm. We went out for dinner to finish our day off. Thank you Monarch Wildlife Cruises for such a magical day!! A staff member told me that Orca are only seen a couple of times a year in the harbor. They must have known it was Bill and Pam's wedding...

During our visit in Dunedin at the end of this March, we booked 3 Monarch cruises activities, Storytime Cruise for Litties and Young Ocean Explorer at the first day, and Monarch Wildlife Cruise in the second. we saw lots of albatross, sea lions, and a humpback whale. My 6 year-old son and I had a lot of fun.

Also i want to say thanks to their staff Trudy and their boss. We did not realise there is no bus service from city center to Wellers Rock Wharf, where is the start point/ finish point for Monarch Wildlife Cruise. so we took a taxi their in the morning. after finishing the activity, we decided to walk to the nearest bus stop, which is about 2-3 hours away for walking. after 2 hours' walking, Trudy drove her boss's car to catch us and said she would take us back to the city. she told me that her boss saw us walking, so asked her to help us. to let us see the most excellent view, she even chose another route.Big thanks to Trudy and Monarch...