Responsible Whale Watching

Commercial Whale Watching Permit Holder

By law, all commercial operators who wish to take their passengers to view or swim with marine mammals must have a permit issued by the Department of Conservation. We have a permit enabling us to carry out whale and dolphin watching and encourage anyone planning to go whale or dolphin watching, to check that the tour operator has this permit.

New Zealand Marine Mammal Rules

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is responsible for the management of marine mammals in New Zealand. They are guided by the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1978 which declares that it is an offence to harass, disturb, injure or kill a marine mammal.

In addition to the Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Regulations 1992 states how everyone should behave around marine mammals whether that be on land, from the air or at sea. As a responsible commercial operator, we strive to demonstrate these rules during our safaris.

Certified Responsible Whale Watch Operator

To further demonstrate our commitment to protecting marine mammals both in the Hauraki Gulf and all over the world, we are proud to be a certified Responsible Whale Watch Operator of the World Cetacean Alliance. This globally recognised certification represents the agreed international standard for responsible whale watching developed by the WCA and their network of whale watching tour operator partners, NGOs, scientists and educators.

The certification acknowledges our respectful, responsible and sustainable approach to whale watching. It means you can be confident in us and what we stand for, which is helping you discover the beauty of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park whilst being respectful of the marine wildlife within it. We don’t just talk the talk, our certification shows that we walk the walk too.