The Tour | Glass Bottom Boat - Cathedral Cove. Whitianga Boat Tour, includes snorkeling. An awesome Coromandel scenic tour.

The Cathedral Cove Tour With A Difference

Join us for a unique eco tour experience.

Explore stunning volcanic coastline above the surface and the magical underwater world of the marine reserve below the surface.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour Highlights

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2 Hour tour time

Sit back and enjoy all the spectacular scenery over a 2 hour tour. Visit all the coastal highlights while learning about the area.

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Cathedral Cove

Sea it by Sea. Come with us and visit one of the most iconic locations in the world.

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Glass Viewing

Our tour is the ONLY tour where you can view through glass panels and view the sea life from the comfort of our boat.

OUR TOUR TIMES

8am

(December to February daily and on request all other times of the year)

10:30am

(All year round)

1:00pm

(All year round)

3:30pm

(December to February daily and on request all other times of the year)

Tours depart daily from the Whitianga Wharf.

Meet your vessel at the Whitianga Wharf 15mins prior to your departure time. Tours are approximately 2hrs long.

There is parking and toilet facilities available at the wharf.

What you might see….

Cathedral Cove and its fabulous white sandy beaches, iconic native New Zealand trees and incredible rock formations.

Stunning volcanic coastline including sheer cliffs, towering pinnacles, blowholes and sea caves such as Orua Sea cave.

Look through the glass panels to see a diverse amount of marine life including red snapper, red moki, leatherjackets and schools of demoiselles and blue mau mau. Look closely through the kelp forest to spot stingrays, crayfish and octopus.

On the surface keep your eyes peeled for blue penguins, sea birds and marine mammals such as dolphins, orca and seals.

What you might learn…

How our volcanic coastline was formed, the geology of the landscape and stunning rock features.

Our town is full of history that you will learn, such as why the town was established here, the arrival of Captain Cook and his discovery while in Mercury Bay, dive into our Maori history with Kupe’s first landing and settlement along with todays culture.

Let our team of marine scientists teach you about the marine life you can see through the glass, our precious marine eco system and the marine reserve. We share our core belief on sustainability and maintaining a healthy ocean.

What you will love…

The small number of passengers onboard mean our tours are personalized offering an intimate experience.

All our crew are highly qualified and professional yet still maintain a fun and friendly atmosphere onboard.

Our tour is unique and the only Whitianga boat tour to offer you a window into our underwater wonderland.

Our vessels are comfortable and designed to keep you protected from the New Zealand elements.

You chose your level of fun. You can sit back and watch the marine life through the glass, or chose to take the plunge and snorkel amongst the fish.

Adult

Per adult

$135

Child

3-15 years old

$80

Family

2 Adults, 2 Children

$360

FAQ

Where does the boat depart from?

The boat departs from the Whitianga Wharf. We also do drop offs and pick-ups from Ferry Landing. If using a GPS use this address 12 Esplanade, Whitianga. Please make sure your GPS is directing you to Whitianga and NOT Tairua!

Where can I buy my ticket?

If you haven’t purchased your tickets on the internet, you can either buy your ticket in our booking office at 16 Monk Street, Whitianga or purchase the tickets on board the boat. We have credit card/eftpos and cash facilites on the boat.

Do your vessels have wheel chair or limited mobility access?

Our boats depart from the Whitianga wharf which has a ramp suitable for wheel chairs. However, there is no access for the wheel chair onto our vessels. If it is possible for the guest using the chair to be lifted out they can be assisted to our seats onboard. Smaller wheel chairs may be able to be stored onboard if there is room. One of our vessels has a loading platform which can be used for guests with limited mobility. There are small steps to get to the seating onboard and our crew are very happy to assist.

Should we book in advance?

Absolutely. Being the top Coromandel boat tour we can book out quickly, so to avoid disappointment we recommend booking in advance. Especially if you have a larger group and all want to go out together.

Do we get off the boat at Cathedral Cove?

Sorry but we cant drop you off. However our boat gets nice and close to the shore so you can enjoy the view and get some great photos.

Will we see dolphins or whales?

Dolphins, whales and orcas do frequent these waters however we cant guarantee you will see them on your tour as they are wild animals. We have a marine mammal watch permit which allows us to spend time with any marine mammals we see on the tour.

Do we go into caves?

Yes. The Cathedral Cove cruise will take you to explore the many different sea caves and blow holes along the coast. Get the camera ready.

Do we have to go snorkeling?

No. Over the summer we offer snorkeling (approx 15 minutes) on our trips for those of you that are keen. If you would rather stay dry, you can watch all the amazing marine life through the glass.

Do I need to be a good snorkeler?

The areas we go snorkeling are perfect for all levels. For beginners we offer a life jacket and over the summer months we have a snorkel guide who will assist you in the water. We will provide you with all the equipment you need.

Where can I park my car/campervan?

There is ample free car parking by the Whitianga wharf with no limit. During the summer it can be busy so give yourselve a bit of extra time to find that park.

What do I need to bring?

Camera, Water/Coffee (great cafe across from the Whitianga Wharf), and your swimsuit/towel if you would like to go snorkeling.

Marie-Christine G

2020-11-30

Fun way to see the coast! Had an awesome ride-a bit of wind and swell! Haha! Super captain! So awesome to get in close to the coves, caves and shore-see all the fish in the reserve. Well worth it! You might have to hang on! Haha!! Reslly professional, safe and well organised!

MadMaxNewZealand

2020-11-29

Good Day Out Most enjoyable and informative trip around the area, seeing Cathedral Cove and various caves and blowholes. Seeing the snapper in their habitat was great, and seeing the destruction of habitat by kina was concerning... The Marine Reserve is a good thing. Went out with a nice group of people. Steve and Julian were our guides - Typical kiwi guys, but felt some of Steve’s comments were a bit on the edge of appropriateness before we left the harbour...

Vivienne M

2020-11-27

A very enjoyable experience On Mon 23 Nov we ( 2 couples) rang to see if we could book a trip. The weather forecast was not wonderful and the company was going to cancel its trips for the day. As it was still very calm they kindly decided that the morning trip would run and we had a very enjoyable morning seeing the sights and all the fish. We were well looked after by Cam and he shared his extensive knowledge of the area with us. The fact that the boat had a glass bottom with great viewing was a distinct plus. These boats are also covered to ensure that we would not get either wet in times of rain or sunburned. We would definitely recommend this company.

manounebosc

2020-11-20

Recommended Amazing tour to see cathedral cove, some caves and beaches. The staff is professional and friendly. Thanks a lot

Anirishkiwi

2020-11-19

Great activity Cam our skipper was superb. Great mix of casual, knowledge and fun. Nice calm day. Enjoyed our dip at the end of the cruise and got some great shots of a part of our beautiful country. Thoroughly worthwhile. Thanks Cam you do a great job.

Paula

2020-11-18

amazing tour - recommended ! we went out for an few hours in the afternoon. we had an amazing time; the crew were friendly helpful and informative; we learnt so much about the area and got to see parts of the coast, that we hadn't seen before. highly recommend this tour

Marcus

2020-11-14

Amazing, Well priced, Good for children 3 and above. An amazing good quality well priced experience. Very professional staff and operation from booking to end. Highly recommend. Cam and Kate our guides were brilliant and very knowledgeable. Such a beautiful part of the world where being on the water gave us a different perspective especially looking through the glass bottom of the boat and seeing the marine life. My children 3 and 6 absolutely Loved it too. Thanks Guys

Robyn Low

2020-11-06

Great trip to see above & below water A great 2 hour trip exploring another piece of paradise. Have visited this area a few times but never been fortunate enough to explore from the water, certainly a great way to see and appreciate such a beautiful coastline. Steve was our skipper & guide, very informative and knowledgable and was great at sharing this in a fun way. So pleased we chose the glass bottom trip, the highlight as a non diver was seeing the sea life through the glass bottom (wasn't snorkelling weather) and seeing what a difference a Marine Reserve makes . Many Thanks team Highly Recommend this trip and wish you well fro the upcoming season. Don & Robyn

Paul D

2020-11-03

Awesome It was a beautiful warm day with no wind and flat sea's. Ash was our skipper and for a young guy was informative, funny and all round a great asset to the company. I see why i can't catch any snapper where i live cause they are all in Mercury bay in the Marine reserve.? Would highly recommend this trip.

Glynnis

2020-11-01

An 2 hour cruise along the coast sprinkled with islands bird and sea life. 5 stars for Ash! The rugged coast and the marine reserve . Awesome seeing the fish through the glass, the caves and blow hole was magical