Guided tour

Akaroa: Pohatu Little Penguins 3-Hour Evening Experience

4.7  / 547 reviews
Activity provider:Pohatu Penguins and Sea Kayaking
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Guided tour
Akaroa: Pohatu Little Penguins 3-Hour Evening Experience
Activity provider:Pohatu Penguins and Sea Kayaking
4.7  / 547 reviews

Encounter New Zealand's native penguins in their natural environment on this 3-hour guided experience from Akaroa. Learn about the 30 plus years of conservation work that has saved the little penguins from extinction in the area.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English
Small group
Limited to 9 participants

Experience

Highlights

  • Marvel at wild penguins in their natural habitat at dusk
  • Enjoy a scenic 4WD drive to Pohatu/Flea Bay from Akaora
  • Gain great insight into the life of a penguin and local conservation efforts
  • Contribute to a 30-year conservation and monitoring project

Full description

Join the tour from Akaroa for a scenic drive by a 4WD minivan over the crater rim of the Akaroa volcano to Pohatu/Flea Bay. Listen as your guide shares with you the history and unique wildlife of Akara. Stop for photo opportunities where you can gaze across Akaroa harbor and enjoy stunning views of the endless Pacific Ocean. On arrival, walk around the colony to monitor nesting sites, collect data, and make sure that the birds are doing well. Spot the penguins undisturbed, socializing on the water, and with darkness falling, a very high likelihood of some returning to shore. Binoculars and camouflage gear are provided to maximize viewing abilities. Darkness will signal the end of the activity, as artificial lighting disturbs the birds so is not used. At certain times of the year, you may even see some of the rehabilitation efforts, such as supplemental feeding.

Includes

  • Scenic return transport by 4WD minivan
  • Experienced guide
  • Photo stops
  • Penguin monitoring and viewing
  • Camouflage gear
  • Use of binoculars

Not suitable for

  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Behind the BNZ Bank on Rue Lavaud.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Hiking shoes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing

Not allowed

  • Smoking
  • Flash photography
  • Making noise

Know before you go

  • The departure time changes due to the sunset. The local tour operator communicate with you the departure time near the date of your tour
  • Photography welcomed, strictly no use of flash permitted
  • The main focus of this activity is monitoring nesting sites offering the opportunity to see penguins up close and watching them socializing on the water
  • Tours rely on natural viewing for this colony, no artificial lighting is used. Pending the weather and natural penguin behavior, there is usually a window of opportunity before it gets too dark to view penguins coming ashore. It cannot be guaranteed that the birds will come ashore before darkness
  • Due to the sensitive wildlife habitat, only guided groups can visit the breeding colony to view the White-flippered Penguins

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 47 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Transportation
    4.8/5
  • Service
    3.5/5
  • Organization
    5/5

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G
GetYourGuide traveler 26 January 2020  – Verified booking
Die Tour war einfach unbeschreiblich schön! Unser Guide Mark war super nett. Die beiden Aussichtspunkte waren optimal. Einmal hat man Akaroa von oben gesehen. Wunderschön! Und beim zweiten hätte man einen super Blick über das Meer! Bevor es zu den Pinguinen ging, konnte man noch eine kleine Schafherde füttern! Danach ging die Ponguintour los. Von einer Fütterung von Babypinguinen, die Kontrolle zweier Nistkisten bis zu der Beobachtung von Pinguinen auf dem Meer und auf Steinen an der Küste. Die Guides erklären alles sehr gut und verständlich und zeigen einem Pinguine in der freien Wildbahn ohne diese zu bedrängen. Einfach eine tolle Erfahrung. Wir können es jedem nur empfehlen!
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GetYourGuide traveler – United Kingdom13 August 2024  – Verified booking
Amazing, we saw penguins in the nesting boxes and a few out on the water even though it wasn’t really great timing for their nesting season. Met the very friendly sheep at the farm and our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about the work that the community was doing to conserve these birds and area. Great trip 👍
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Susanne – Germany17 July 2024  – Verified booking
Die Tour war sehr schön. Obwohl wir im Winter in Neuseeland sind, haben wir Pinguine in Ihren Nestern ganz aus der Nähe sehen können. Joey hat uns viel über das Leben der Pinguine und ihre wissenschaftlichen Erhebungen erzählt. Nebenbei haben wir noch Seehunde beobachten können und durften die Schafe ihrer Mutter füttern.
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Product ID: 191678

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