Vogelbeobachtung und Dolphin Eco-Tour von Picton

There were amazing things about this trip, and some complaints. Pluses: we saw a pod of Orcas! The boat captain saw them while we were on the island, and they extended our trip (after checking with passengers' departure times) to make sure we could all see these amazing largest dolphins. We also saw Hector's dolphins, the smallest of the family. they brought us to a really fun gull/shearwater/shag feeding frenzy. Guides were helpful and interesting. They provided binoculars, and coffee/hot chocolate. Downsides? If you are an avid birder, don't be fooled by the 'bird watching' name into thinking this is a birding trip! 50 people on the island together, talking loud, moving too fast for birding. The guide did point out a New Zealand Falcon, South Island Robin, South Island Saddleback. But compared to birder's lists on eBird for the island, this was a small list. I also fear the King Shag he 'identified' was actually a Spotted. So, a great tour, as long as you are open-eyed about what type of trip it is. (PS: hold onto your hats! I lost mine chasing the Orcas!)

1. Der Besitzer war extrem unfreundlich und als wir Einwände hatten bez. Wetter und dem schlechten Wetterbericht für später am Nachmittag, erwiderte er es sei ihm alles total egal denn wir würden ja eh nie mehr kommen !!!! 2. Gruppe mit Nicky und Capt. Andy Ich wollte für meine Deutsch sprechenden Teilnehmer übersetzen und wurde vin Nicky sehr schroff abgewiesen dafür hätten wir keine Zeit!! Auf dem Kat war sie dann ein wenig netter aber auf der Insel war sie wieder sehr aggressiv und unfreundlich.wir haben auf Hin-&Rückfahrt ein paar wenige Vögel gesehen aber bei der welligen See war ein Fotografieren unmöglich. Auf der Insel haben wir gar nichts gesehen 3. Ein Teil der Gruppe musste 2x 1 volle Stunde stehen da es zu wenig Sitzplätze gab und dies bei hohem Wellengang und Dauerregen 4. Ich, selber auch Reiseleiter, werde diese Firma niemandem weiterempfehlen.

We had the best experience on our Moturara Island boat cruise! I wish I could give our rating more than 5 stars. We lucked out the day was beautiful and it was a small group, but what really stood out was the crew. You could tell they loved their jobs - and working with each other. They were constantly on the look out for critters in the water and on land. They found many, so we could stop, learn more, and take photos of them in their natural habitat. The visit on Moturara Island was awesome! There were so many birds flying over head while we hiked to the top, stopping along the way to learn more about the birds while taking in the beautiful scenery. We also appreciated their conservation efforts for the animals on the island. Heading back to Picton, we enjoyed yummy snacks and gorgeous views. There are many companies that conduct similar tours - don’t hesitate to book with E-Ko Tours!