オークランド生物発光カヤック ツアー

Amazing experience, highly recommend, so surreal, couldn't capture on camera but the memory is engraved in my mind

Was a really well thought out tour that wss a really nice experience to share with someone

Going early in the season, I was worried there won't be much to see, but turns out I was quite wrong. The phenomenon was amazing and very visible, and we had heaps of time to experience it. It was honestly perfect to do it early, since it meant we got even more of the undisturbed water to ourselves. The price is certainly worth the reliability, the safety and the support you're provided. The equipment is nice and comfortable, and the guides are helpful and are ready to answer any questions you got. We also had a Q&A stop during which we were educated on what the phenomenon is, and learned a bunch of trivia around it. The experience seemed like it would be amazing for almost anybody, and is a lot of fun. Getting in and out of the kayaks wasn't a problem and went smoothly, and the most it requires from you is walking into the water that's about ankle to mid-calf deep. If you have water shoes they will come in clutch, but ultimately as long as you're happy to have your feet be wet, there's nothing to worry about (you are also free to take your shoes off altogether, that's not a problem, and the ramp is concrete so you don't even need to worry about walking on the river bottom). Aside from that, the most wet you can get is splashing from your paddle, but you are entirely in control of that one, and I personally walked out pretty much fully dry :) I had a lot of fun and will definitely come back for more adventures with SNM, and this particular experience is something I could recommend to anybody who had ever wanted to see bioluminescence, as it is a perfect opportunity to do so.

I had an absolutely incredible experience on this kayak tour in Auckland, and a huge part of that was thanks to our guide, Caleb. From the outset, he was exceptionally kind, warm, and had such an engaging personality that immediately put everyone at ease. Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, he remained enthusiastic and fully committed to ensuring we still had the best possible experience. Caleb also had a fantastic sense of humor and a very natural ability to connect with the group, which made the entire tour feel relaxed, enjoyable, and full of laughter. With 6 of us in the group, he created such a welcoming and engaging atmosphere, made good conversation and jokes with the others and taught me some New Zealand slang. What truly stood out would have been his depth of knowledge. He was not only well-versed in bioluminescence and explained it in a way that was both accessible and fascinating, but he also demonstrated impressive knowledge of the constellations above us. Being able to learn about both the natural phenomenon beneath us and the night sky above added a really magical dimension to the experience and made it feel genuinely unforgettable. His passion and willingness to share his knowledge were truly impressive. He also made a clear effort to take us to locations where he knew we had the highest chance of witnessing bioluminescence, and his guidance throughout the night felt both intentional and thoughtful. He maintained great conversation throughout and balanced being informative with being personable, which made the whole experience feel very authentic and well-curated. It is evident that Caleb takes pride in what he does and genuinely cares about the experience of the people he guides. In my opinion, people like him deserve recognition for the impact they have, because he is truly excellent at his job. Seeing bioluminescence has been something I have been looking forward to for months, and I feel incredibly grateful to have even witnessed a few glimpses of it. It was surreal and deeply memorable being out on the water in such a unique setting. I am planning to return to Auckland in about a month, and I would absolutely do this tour again with my friends for another opportunity to see more. Thank you, Caleb, for making this experience so meaningful and unforgettable for me.

It was totally FUN! After we geared up (lifejackets and little lights attached to the jackets turned on) and got the kayaks into the waters, we pushed off into the dark. The kayaks were for 2 people. The back person had a bit of rudder steering. It was sometimes hard to hear the 2 guides (sorry, I can't remember names). One lead us around, looking for a prime spot for the biolum-s and the back person helped corral the wandering patrons. I think there might have been 12 kayaks that night. They did a great job of keeping us from spreading out too much, getting lost in the dark, or just wandering off alone. :) They taught us a bit of the area and the biolum-s we were hunting. As we wandered, everyone shared their experiences with kayaking or stargazing or just chatted. Then we found them... Once I finally figured out what they were trying to show us, I started playing with the water. Patting it with my paddle and swirling my hands in the water. All combinations of water splashing and movements were tried. It was so fun to see the sparks and glows that came about our efforts. Sometimes, it was just the kayak splitting the water that caused the glow. Magical. I'd do this again in a heartbeat.

A fantastic tour that I would highly recommend. Peter and Conrad provided clear instructions and shared their knowledge with genuine enthusiasm, making the experience both enjoyable and informative. It was a pleasure to be guided by people who truly love what they do. The evening was memorable, with the incredible opportunity to witness bioluminescence firsthand. Being out on the water on a calm, clear night was also wonderfully relaxing.

Amazing experience. It was like looking at stars in the sea. The guides gave us plenty of time to play with the algae.

This was a very cool experience both being out on the open ocean at night and seeing the bioluminescence activity. Our guide made it feel very relaxed and comfortable.

All necessary instructions are clear and simple. The instructors were very knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and passionate about the environment. They were very fit, fun and careful. The experience is absolutely incredible. This is one experience where you have to be there and do it to understand the fascination. It is money well spent and an experience to treasure. I highly recommend it whether you are with somone or alone.

Meet the van out on Waiake beach, there is a changing room at the beach, you will get wet just sitting in a wet kayak. We took an "uber" from Aukland, about 25 minute ride. The tour guides were very friendly, after a short "lesson" we paddled out into a very calm bay and stirred up the plankton to create the bioluminescence. It was a 1/2 moon on a very clear night so lots of stars, so lots of light, so not the absolute best viewing of the plankton but it got better as it got later/darker.