PROTECTING THE HECTOR’S DOLPHINS WILL ALWAYS BE OUR PRIORITY

Conservation and advocating for the Hector’s dolphins is at the heart of what we do, ever since we started operation in 1985. By providing cruises and swim excursions in Akaroa, we give everyone an opportunity to see these beautiful yet rare dolphins up close, while respecting their natural habitat and behaviours.

When you take a cruise or swim with us, a portion of the ticket goes towards the Department of Conservation fund. In addition, we are proud supporters of academic research into human impacts on the Hector’s dolphins, and how we can all work together to help repopulate these endangered species. We are proud to have partnered with the NZ Whale and Dolphins Foundation, contributing to their research both monetary and through our resource and capabilities.

A PROMISE TO OUR CUSTOMERS

We understand that the biggest part of why our customers take a cruise or swim
with us is to see the Hector’s dolphins. We do not feed or intrude into their space – their curious nature means they will come and swim near us. With almost 40 years of experience, we are also quite good at spotting the dolphins.

However, in the unlikely event that you don’t see the Hector’s dolphins on a cruise or swim with us, we’ll love for you to join us again. You will receive an Akaroa Nature Re-cruise voucher, open-dated so you can take any one of our future cruises for free.

Learn more about our advocacy and conservation efforts, and how you can contribute to our Protect the Hector's initiative

About us

The award-winning Black Cat Cruises is not only an acclaimed success in New Zealand’s tourism industry but also internationally recognized as an eco-tourism pioneer. We hold the honour of being the first to introduce cruises in Akaroa, and we're proud to be acknowledged as New Zealand’s very first eco-tourism operator.

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WHERE WE ARE

Our Nature Cruises and Dolphin Swimming experience depart from Akaroa which is only a 90 minute scenic drive from Christchurch. The Diamond Harbour, Quail Island and Ripapa ferry depart from Lyttelton in Christchurch.

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