The 15 Best Pelican & Seabird Tours

1.Gannet Safaris Overland tour to Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 942 reviews · from $61Our pick

Drive across private Cape Kidnappers Station in a rugged, air-conditioned minivan, stopping at viewpoints before reaching the gannet plateau. Guides such as Marcus, Jan, Mick, and Tony add stories about farming, wildlife, and local history. The three-hour tour includes tea or coffee and very little walking.

“Fabulous trip. The guides were so knowledgeable….we learnt so much about the gannets but also about farming in the area. To see so many birds together in one place was amazing.”

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3.Pelican Point Kayaking Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 349 reviews · from $79

Start at 8:00 am near Walvis Bay’s waterfront and ride by 4x4 across the lagoon and salt works to Pelican Point. Paddle a tandem kayak beside thousands of Cape fur seals on protected water. Guides such as SJ, Jasmine, JD, and Francois add wildlife knowledge, photos, breakfast, and practical help.

“Our guide SJ was fabulous, kind, caring, and knowledgeable. Could not have been better. Every detail covered. Once in a lifetime experience with the seals. Excellent communication before meeting. We were up close to the seals, watching the males, morhers abs pups. A must magic moment!”

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4.Napier: Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 317 reviews · 3 hours · from $59

Ride across Cape Kidnappers in a comfortable 4x4 with guides such as Jan, Marcus, or Trevor, then stand a few feet from thousands of gannets. Expect striking cliffs, Maori stories, forest and conservation stops, light refreshments, and no required walking.

“excellent tour. Our guide grew up on the farm and was full of fascinating stories of the past as well as interesting facts about the present - the wildlife, the lodge, the pest control and of course, the gannets”

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5.Albatross, seals, and sea birds-Wildlife Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 189 reviews · from $105

Join Rachel on a small-group wildlife cruise from Port Chalmers, or Portobello for a longer outing. The custom-built Sootychaser has a heated cabin, open deck, binoculars, and identification sheets. Expect harbor history, sea birds, fur seals, possible penguins, dolphins, and royal albatross.

“The captain- Rachael, was very friendly and knowledgeable. Even though the seas were a bit bumpy, she tried very hard to identify the wildlife while trying to make it as comfortable for the passengers as she could, while we bounced around”

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6.Pelican Point Kayaking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 171 reviews · 4h 30m · from $76

Ride by 4x4 along Walvis Bay Lagoon and the salt mines, stopping for flamingos and seabirds before kayaking beside Cape fur seals at Pelican Point. Guides such as SJ, Denzel, and Schalk add local insight. The half-day tour includes gear, breakfast, hot drinks, and waterproof camera photos.

“This half day activity was a highlight of our Namibia tour. Ever part was excellent including the arrangements, the chatty guide, and seeing seals and Wales alongside the Kayak. 100% recommendation, and maybe a suggestion to take the PM tour to Sandwich harbour.”

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8.Dunedin Wildlife Cruise-Albatross, seals and harbour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · from $105

Join Rachel of Port To Port Cruises for a 90 to 120 minute wildlife cruise on Otago Harbour. From Port Chalmers or Portobello, you’ll look for albatross, seals, sea lions, penguins, shags, dolphins, and other sea birds, with binoculars, warm jackets, and live commentary provided.

“The arrangement via viator was well organized. Rachel, the captain, was on time and very personable and gave a great tour. She also provided us with a great photo sheet with all the possible birds and animals that could be observed in the area and we were able to check off quite a few of them seeing them first hand. We really appreciated the attention to detail by Rachel who contacted us and provided us better planning options for us to meet her at a better location which saved us considerable time and money.”

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9.Half Day Original Seal Kayak Adventure, Pelican Point, Walvis Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $72

Join Kevin and Graham for a 4.5-hour eco-friendly outing from Walvis Bay. A 4x4 ride crosses wetlands and salt pans to Pelican Point, where you kayak from the lighthouse toward seal colonies, with birds and possible bottlenose dolphins nearby.

“This was an absolutely phenomenal activity. While the kayaking was the highlight, there was so much more to this day. Pick up was conveniently close to the cruise port. Our hosts were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about so much iRead more”

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10.Mola Mola Marine Dolphin Cruise from the Walvis Bay Waterfront to Pelican Point

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · from $90

Join Mola Mola Safaris for a three-hour catamaran cruise from Walvis Bay Waterfront to Pelican Point. Guides such as Nick, Michael, Johnnie, and Wian have hosted trips featuring seals beside the boat, pelicans on deck, dolphins, birds, oysters, lunch, and drinks.

“10 Personen, damit eine kleine Gruppe, damit kein überfülltes Boot, unsere Erwartungen wurden erfüllt.”

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11.Dunedin City Highlights, Otago Peninsula Scenery & Albatross Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · from $198

Spend six hours with a local guide such as Theresa, Asta, John, or Scott, combining Dunedin’s Botanic Garden, Baldwin Street, railway station, and viewpoints with a scenic Otago Peninsula drive and a guided Royal Albatross Centre visit.

“Great tour with Teresa (Tri) given us a comprehensive and enthusiastic introduction to New Zealand and the Otago area in particular. Variety of stops from quick visit to Botanical Gardens to Dunedin railway station, Baldwin Street and the excellent Royal Albatross Centre, with variety of birds plus seals and sea lions.”

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12.From Dunedin: City, Otago Peninsula & Albatross Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 35 reviews · 6 hours · from $191

Join Fantail Tours for a six-hour Dunedin and Otago Peninsula outing with city viewpoints, a botanical garden stroll, Highcliff Road scenery, and a one-hour guided Royal Albatross Centre visit. Guides such as Teresa, Asta, and Scott add local insight, while cruise pickup and return are timed carefully.

“Enjoyed the Otago Peninsula and City Tour. Tour guide was friendly and professional. Tour was well organised and co-ordinated, on the fly, with our cruise ship arrival and departure time, so we didn't have to worry about arriving late for the tour, nor missing our ship departure time.”

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13.Iconic Wildlife Tour with Yellow Eyed Penguins & Royal Albatross

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · from $245

Spend about seven hours exploring Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula with guides such as Kim, Jo, Greg, or Alan. Visit a private wildlife reserve for yellow-eyed penguins and fur seals, stop at the Royal Albatross Centre, and see Baldwin Street and Dunedin Railway Station. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

“Small tour bus from Viator for wildlife tour which picked us up from the cruise terminal, we drove through town on the way towards the Penguins. We learned about the endangered yellow eyed blue penguins and got to see their program to shelter injured penguins and the process of reintegrating them into natural environment. There is a moderate amount of walking in various places during the day. We walked by the coast to see some of the fur seals basking in the sun. I would have liked to go to the Lamach castle but the guide stated we didn't have time. We did however, spend time at the Albatross center…”

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14.Sandwich Harbour & Pelican Point Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · from $277

Spend about seven hours exploring Walvis Bay’s flamingos, Pelican Point, Sandwich Harbour, and the Namib Desert. Red Dune Safaris limits the group to eight, provides lunch and drinks, and includes hotel or port transfers. If available, ask for Hans, praised for his driving and local knowledge.

“Hans is just amazing. His knowledge, driving skills made this an unforgettable experience. Make sure you specifically ask for him”

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15.Singapore: Albatross Speedboat Adventures Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 22 reviews · from $31

You’ll spend 60 minutes on an Albatross speedboat from the Singapore Oceanarium, covering 23 kilometres past Dragon’s Teeth Gate, Lazarus Island, St John’s Island, Sentosa, and the city skyline. Expect a fast, sweeping ride for up to 50 passengers, with life jackets, raincoats, and mineral water provided.

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