Carino Wildlife Cruises

I read all of the reviews for Carino before booking, and I am glad I did. Most of the people who have written negative reviews did so because they didn't get to see or swim with dolphins. This is explicitly stated on the Carino website, yes it is a gamble, but you're on a boat in the Bay of Islands, that in itself is so amazing!Carino is a small tour company, family run, and they follow the DOC rules to a T. The cruise was beautiful, we saw a huge pod of dolphins, swam to shore, hiked, had a great BBQ lunch, and a quiet sale back to Paihia. I highly recommend Carino other the larger tours.

To be honest, I don’t know how to begin with... I think this is the very first time I write a review... and the reason is due to the great experience we had today!!!It was everything absolutely amazing... way better of our expectations... it couldn’t have been better... Vanessa and her crew (Wandy) are lovely, nice and they make you part of everything... We even helped them to set up the sails... at all times We felt as we were part of the team... I’m speaking for my wife as well since it was our honeymoon trip!!! I asked my wife what she most liked about them and she told me: they were great when we called them for the first time, the boat was incredible, really clean including the toilet... along the trip they tell you about everything... the barbecue was great... and they are so kind!!! Not to mention that we left 9am and came back at 3pm for almost the same price you pay for a 3h trip packed as sardine... hehe Vanessa and Wandy we appreciate everything you guys did for us... you guys made our honeymoon so special... see ya next time!!!

Dear Vanessa,Our trip today with you was amazing!! Thanks so much! We had a exciting full day. Really friendly, helpful and communicative. You explained well to us and we also learned a lot about the protection of the wildlife in Bay of Islands. I can highly recommend this tour, because they will give you an awesome day and a lot of fun! The highlight was to see dolphins. We saw that they know you well and they love you. That impressed me.Thanks for this awesome day! See you soon

Was a good day out, boat was very spacious and not crowded with people. Staff are lovely!! Seeing the dolphins is very hit and miss, but they are wild animals. Swimming with them is extremely unlikely due to the speed in which the dolphins travel in the bay due to high number of boats and dolphins cruises flying about to see them, keeps them moving around a lot. The island stop off was nice, wasn't much to see snorkelling but as from UK was something different. Decent lunch provided. The afternoon was just a nice casual sail back to the mainland with some interesting facts along the way. Gave it a solid 4/5 due to seeing dolphins. Would be 2-3/5 if no dolphins were seen.

Well we’re we just very lucky or did the skipper know her stuff? Fantastic day awesome to see Dolphins and really cool to snorkel. Lunch was great

This tour was amazing! I was really keen to get out on a boat during my time in Paihia, and I couldn't have picked a better group to go with. Vanessa, Ronda, and Bruce were excellent tour guides and lovely to chat with. Obviously seeing the dolphins were the highlight, but I also truly enjoyed the smaller group size, the addition of sailing at the end of our day, and the BBQ lunch. My first swim of the year was lovely, as well! I would highly recommend this tour group to anyone looking for an unforgettable Bay of Islands experience.

If I could give ten stars I would! My friend and I booked this cruise for NYE day and it was the best way to round out the year! The staff were so friendly, informative and welcoming, and what was so special is that even though only my friend and I had booked that day, they still took us out! We fully expected them to cancel due to low numbers (thanks covid) but they still took us out and were more than happy to do so. This is testament to their passion for what they do, it’s obvious this is more than just a “business” for them, it’s their way of life. We helped do the sails, (not sure how helpful we were but it was fun!), learnt a lot about the bay of islands, and saw a pod of Orca! This is rare and we felt so fortunate to have this experience. The Orca were off the usual course but they wanted to make the trip special for us and went out of their way so we could view the Orca. And man was it worth it! Absolutely magical! Anchoring in a small bay and jumping of the back of the catamaran into the beautiful sea while they prepared lunch, then sunning ourselves on the nets at the front of the catamaran with a beer afterwards was actual perfection.If you want an experienced, local, passionate crew who care deeply for the environment and making sure you have the best day, book this tour! I bet you will also be posting a review and wanting to rate ten stars afterwards! Thanks team again for the perfect day.

This trip was the highlight of our trip to Paihia! The crew was awesome. It was nice to be in a small group tour, everyone had space to lounge in the sun, and when we did see dolphins it wasn't too crowded.We were very lucky to see a pod of very active and playful dolphins, they we jumping and playing, and coming right up to the boat. There was a baby and a young dolphin with them, so we didn't get to swim, but it was amazing to watch them play.Thanks Vanessa, Leslie, and Bruce!

Great cruise. Vicky and Vanessa weresuper nice. They shared valuable insights about the islands and the wildlife. Both had a passion for the local wildlife and deep knowledge about this area. We were super lucky and saw many dolphins even including little ones. Beach stop with snorkeling and dinner was well timed. Overall very good package and clearly worth a recommendation.

Very friendly crew members. Was in a small group on the boat, felt like was treated as a friend instead of the customer. Vanessa was trying best to seek dolphins which made our trip perfect. Thank you!