June 30, 2026
Our Conservation Mission Continues on Land!
We are incredibly proud to share that we are now Gold Supporters of the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust!
- Akaroa
- Awards
- Bank Peninsula
- Banks Peninsula
- Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust
- Black cat
- CEO
- Christchurch Day Trip
- conservation
- Department of Conservation
- Dolphin
- Dolphins
- Easter
- Endangered
- Family
- Hector's Dolphin
- Hectors
- Lyttelton
- New Chief Executive
- new information
- NZ Whale & Dolphin Trust
- Our People
- Our Story
- partnership
- Quail Island
- Research
- School Holiday
- School Programme
- Sponsorship
- Threat Management Plan
- Tiaki
- Tourism
- tracking
- Travel Plan
- Water Safety
- White Flippered Penguin
- Wildlife
April 14, 2026
New Black Cat Group Chief Executive Appointed
We are excited to announce the appointment of Andrew Cleverley as our Chief Executive Officer, commencing June 2026! Read more about his previous roles and what he is bringing to the Black Cat Team.
March 2, 2026
The Latest Hectors Research
Read up on the newest research on the Hectors Dolphin. Including once hidden behaviours such as spending large amounts of time catching fish UPSIDE DOWN!
October 9, 2025
Celebrating 40 Years of Care and Adventure: Black Cat Cruises Turns 40
How it all Began In 1985, Black Cat Cruises was born from a simple but powerful idea: to offer people a closer connection to our spectacular marine world. What began with one small boat and a big dream in Akaroa has grown into one of New Zealand’s leading eco-tourism experiences and the first eco-tourism certified [...]
June 4, 2025
Why Akaroa is the Ultimate Winter Escape in New Zealand
Akaroa in Winter transforms into a tranquil village with their famous French flair. At just 90-minutes from Christchurch it's the perfect break from the city - here's what Winter is like in Akaroa, things to do, plus special offers.
August 15, 2024
Your Itinerary for a Road Trip to Akaroa From Christchurch
Planning an Akaroa trip from Christchurch? We've done the hard work for you and created a day trip itinerary packed with activities, estimated travel time, and places to eat and drink along the way.
March 27, 2024
Are Hector's Dolphins Endangered?
In the wake of the recent SailGP event held in Lyttelton, a critical conversation has emerged regarding the intersection of human activities and marine conservation. Following the cancellation of racing this past Saturday due to the sighting of Hector's Dolphin in their home territory, Lyttelton Harbour, also known as the race course, the dolphins have found themselves at the heart of a heated controversy.
March 26, 2024
My Quail Island Easter Egg Hunt Adventure
Easter last year was different. On a whim, my partner and I decided to ditch the usual low-key Easter Sunday for something a bit more adventurous - the Quail Island Easter Egg Hunt, organised by Black Cat Cruises. Little did I know, it was going to be a day packed with laughter, a bit of legwork, and lots of chocolate.
December 5, 2023
Navigating Towards a Brighter Future for Hector's Dolphins
As Emeritus Professor's Liz Slooten and Steve Dawson pass the baton for Hector's Dolphin conservation, we take a look back to their chance encounter with our founder Ron Bingham, and how their dedication to research leaves a lasting legacy in Akaroa and beyond.
November 9, 2023
Destination Akaroa: An Explorer's Guide to Banks Peninsula & Its Crown Jewel
Wondering where to begin your Akaroa adventure? This blog will guide you through every must-see and must-do activity! There’s no denying the allure of a New Zealand summer, especially when exploring the myriad of things to do in Akaroa, Canterbury. With its captivating charm, Akaroa stands out even amidst New Zealand’s stunning locales. Situated within [...]
December 15, 2022
Is it OK for 20 dolphins to die in nets around Banks Peninsula next year?
How did we get here? Hector’s dolphins (Upokohue) are NZ’s own native dolphins. They are a ‘nationally vulnerable species’ with the population hovering around 15,000. For reference there are about 68,000 kiwi (birds) in NZ. The government through MPI (ministry for primary industries) has been consulting with interested parties on a ‘Threat Management Plan’ (TMP). [...]
October 21, 2022
Hector's Dolphin Movement in Akaroa
Research shows Hector’s dolphin sightings have moved further down Akaroa Harbour This week, the Department of Conservation have released research into the distribution of the Hector’s dolphins within Akaroa Harbour. The research concluded that over the past 20 years, the local Hector’s dolphin population is sighted less frequently in the inner harbour region, and more [...]
October 19, 2022
How effective are the government's new fishing rules at saving the endangered Hector's Dolphins?
What is this about? Just under a year ago, a very important matter regarding the future of Hector’s dolphins was opened to submissions from the public. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was trying to decide how to further protect Hector’s and Maui dolphins from ‘Bycatch’. Bycatch refers to accidentally catching one species [...]
September 29, 2022
THE OCEAN IS IN YOUR HANDS
In September 2021, Blue Cradle collaborated with community actors, local artists and key sponsors to create “The Ocean is in our Hands” mural at ‘The Crossing’, corner of Colombo & Lichfield streets, in ÅŒtautahi/Christchurch. Have you seen it? One year on the city of Christchurch is celebrating its one year anniversary, on the eve of [...]
June 8, 2022
WORLD OCEAN DAY
Today, June 8th, is World Ocean Day The theme for 2022 is Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. WIN A PROTECT HECTOR’S MEMBERSHIP To celebrate World Ocean Day we are giving away a Protect Hector’s Membership to one lucky winner. To enter visit our latest Facebook post with the above image and tag yourself or [...]
May 30, 2022
Department of Conservation Business Spotlight
Business Spotlight A huge thank you to the Department of Conservation for taking the time to visit and speak with us as part of their Business Spotlight series. The series aims to highlight how businesses can get involved in the conversation, and play a part by taking action. Tiaki Promise Kaitiakitanga of New Zealand’s [...]
April 26, 2022
Qualmark Gold in Akaroa and Lyttelton
We are so so pleased to confirm that Black Cat Cruises has just had its Qualmark Gold award renewed. This award is reviewed annually, and is something we are proud to maintain as we continually strive to be a sustainable, world class operation. ” Your award can be proudly displayed as evidence that Black Cat [...]
April 19, 2022
Top Free Things To Do In Banks Peninsula - Spend $0 while having a great time
The top free things to do in Banks Peninsula are listed right here. No one gets through a holiday richer than they were before. Here’s the dilemma; you have time off work and want some quality time with your family. Well, look no further than Banks Peninsula. The place is brimming with things to do, [...]
March 3, 2022
From Farming to Ferries: the Black Cat Cruises Story
Black Cat is proud to release this personal recollection of the key events and people that built the business into what it is today. The idea for the video came about when Black Cat tragically lost one of its finest in a car accident. This video is dedicated to the entire team; past and present. [...]
January 13, 2022
KEEP YOURSELF AND THE OCEAN SAFE THIS SUMMER
We know how much Kiwis love playing in and around the water in the summertime. We flock to our favorite beaches to swim, surf, paddle board, kayak, sail, water ski and more so it’s safe to say we are a nation of water lovers – we may even do a once-in-a-lifetime swim with a certain [...]
December 10, 2021
Black Cat Cruises welcome new shareholders
BLACK CAT CRUISES WELCOMES GLENN AND ANDREW RITCHIE OF RTH INTERNATIONAL AS NEW INVESTORS. Paul Bingham says, ‘We are delighted to welcome Glenn and Andrew Ritchie into the Black Cat Cruises business as we embark on a new chapter.’ This is only the second time in 36 years that Black Cat Cruises shares have changed hands.
December 2, 2021
Hector's Dolphins - North and South
How much do you know about the different Hector’s Dolphin populations around the country? Where exactly do they live? As an ecotourism operator local to Canterbury, we are obviously guilty of focusing on the 1000 or so dolphins that live around our harbours. Banks Peninsula is of special importance to us, being our home for [...]
November 8, 2021
Help stop the world's rarest dolphins from dying in fishing nets
Hector’s Dolphins SOS…. We can never know how many of the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin’s die in fishing nets every year. Many reports are under-estimated and require self reporting by fishermen. Even so, some organisations claim up to 150 Hector’s dolphins are killed in nets each year. Fair to say, the Hector’s and Maui [...]
August 10, 2021
Hector's dolphin Education Programme
Learn about the Hector’s dolphin both on and off the water……. Did you know that we can now provide a free Education Programme focused on Hector’s dolphin to all Kiwi schools and students thanks to all of our customers. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU…… WHAT’S INCLUDED Every cruise or swim with the Hector’s [...]
July 22, 2020
Protect Hector's - The latest developments
On the 24th June, the Government released its long-awaited plan to help protect Hectors (and Maui) dolphins. This is the end of a process that began 2 years ago and is the result of many meetings, plans, submissions and feedback from all – including the fishing industry, conservationists, scientists, and us, the tourism industry who [...]
May 1, 2020
How Many Hector's are left? In Discussion With Professor Liz Slooten and Black Cat Cruises
Hi guys, we hope you are all keeping safe and well. Over the last month here at Black Cat we’ve taken time to pause, take a deep breath and connect with family and friends either in our bubble or online. We’ve also been busy working on projects so that when the time is right we [...]
September 12, 2019
Finalists in the 2019 NZ Tourism Awards
We are so excited to share that we are finalists in the 2019 New Zealand Tourism Awards – (Department of Conservation Conservation Award). An amazing honour to be alongside the other fantastic finalists in our category – Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari, Auckland Zoo, & Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. We are very proud of our incredible team and their [...]
August 14, 2019
Tree Planting on Quail Island
On a stunning, sunny winter’s day in ÅŒtautahi (Christchurch), Black Cat hosted a group of delegates from the TECNZ (Tourism Export Council) 2019 Conference over on Quail Island for a day of native tree planting. This group of keen gardeners assisted the Quail Island Restoration Trust by planting 100 trees and had a fantastic day [...]
July 1, 2019
Hector's Dolphin Threat Management Plan - What You Need to Know
We’ve unlocked the mystery behind the recently released Threat Management Plan (from here in we’ll call it the TMP). It’s a very complex document which will bamboozle and confuse the average New Zealander. And even some of the best brains in this space took many hours to understand it! The TMP outlines recommendations to the Ministers’ [...]
May 3, 2019
Swim for Hector's
A team from Black Cat Cruises and the Department of Conservation recently swam across Akaroa Harbour from Tikao Bay to Akaroa Main Beach, to help raise awareness for the protection of the Hector’s dolphin. An amazing feat for an amazing cause! The reason behind the swim Swimming across Akaroa Harbour wasn’t an easy task, but the [...]
April 8, 2019
The Real Value of Hector's
Putting the $ in Hector’$ Can you really put a dollar value on a species like Hector’s dolphins? Or should you? Surely the conservation and sustainability of our only native dolphin is enough to drive the correct decisions by our government. It turns out it’s a little more complex than that; the fishing industry has [...]
January 25, 2019
Banks Peninsula Beaches - Our pick of beautiful beaches in and around the Peninsula
With the weather hotting up for the next week ahead we thought we’d share with you our pick of beautiful Banks Peninsula beaches. We think of Banks Peninsula as one of New Zealand’s natural treasures. With it’s abundance of bays and beaches we are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a place to [...]
December 5, 2018
TIAKI PROMISE
Have you heard of the Tiaki promise? Well the Tiaki promise is a shared kaupapa (set of values, principles and plans which people have agreed on as a foundation for their actions) founded by New Zealand’s leading Tourism bodies and experts. The Tiaki Promise is a commitment that both New Zealanders and visitors alike should [...]
September 21, 2018
THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DOLPHIN
New Zealand’s own dolphin By any measure Hector’s dolphins are a very special animal. Not only are they the smallest dolphin in the world, they are also the only one native to New Zealand. They’re as kiwi as the kiwi. If that is not enough, just like New Zealanders, they are very friendly, often investigating [...]
April 24, 2017
A GUIDE TO AKAROA'S MARINE BIRDS
New Zealand has over 86 types of breeding seabirds. This has given us the title of ‘Seabird capital of the world’, and a number of these birds can be found in and around Banks Peninsula. We’re celebrating by launching an exclusive special offer for the month of May. The Akaroa Department of Promotions recently launched [...]
March 15, 2017
WHATS THE #1 VOTED BUCKET LIST ACTIVITY IN NEW ZEALAND? HINT: IT'S IN AKAROA
AKAROA HARBOUR’S DOLPHIN SWIM IS TOP PICK FOR AUSSIES HOLIDAYING IN NZ A public poll has revealed that Australians consider swimming with Hector’s dolphins in Akaroa Harbour as number one on their New Zealand bucket list of experiences. More than 18,000 Australians voted in the online poll hosted by tour and attractions aggregator Experience OZ [...]
October 26, 2016
New Zealand Bucket List
We love adventure and awesome, authentic experiences…and we love nothing more than delivering some of the best New Zealand activities from our homes in Akaroa and Lyttelton. We believe it’s important to have goals and passions and one interpretation of that is to have a bucket list…..a wonderful list of things you simply have to [...]
August 22, 2016
Black Cat Cruises are finalists in the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2016
It is with immense pleasure that we are able to announce that we have been selected as a finalist in the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2016. As we come to the end of a record season for Black Cat, and one that happened to celebrate our 30 years in business we are all feeling [...]
December 15, 2015
60 sec with Capitano Juliano
He’s our most raved about skipper on Tripadvisor, knows the history and wildlife of Akaroa harbour like no other….and is generally an all round amazing guy! We took 60 seconds to find out a little more about Akaroa’s top skipper to find out what really floats his boat……. (and if 60 seconds just isn’t enough [...]
October 14, 2015
Akaroa business a SMART operator
We are over the moon to be awarded the SMART operator certificate from the Department of Conservation! Akaroa business Black Cat Cruises have become the first business in Banks Peninsula, and the second in the country, to sign up to the SMART Operator programme in an initiative developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to [...]
October 23, 2010
25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR BLACK CAT CRUISES
On October 20th 1985, the Charmaine set out on her first Akaroa Harbour Cruise. At the helm was Captain Ron Bingham and on board were two paying passengers. Total revenue $16. The business was partly inspired by the Hutchens family who started Fiordland Travel (now Real Journeys). Living in Te Anau we had seen what [...]
October 16, 2010
THE ORIGINAL BLACK CAT CRUISE BOAT
The original Black Cat boat was called Charmaine. She was bought from the Marlborough Sounds in 1985 and held a maximum of 42 people. After three years she was sold and the larger Canterbury Cat brought from Whangarei in 1988. Prior to the Charmaine there were no cruise operators on the harbour, though one or [...]
October 12, 2010
TOURISM AWARD FINALIST
We are a finalist in this years tourism awards in the DOC sponsored conservation category. Our entry focused on the innovative conservation activities we have put in place in three main areas including reducing energy use, reducing waste and our local conservation efforts.
July 1, 2009
STAFF SWIM TO SET TRAPS
The white flippered penguin is the Canterbury cousin of the more abundant Little Blue Penguin. Over the last 20 years it’s estimated that around 70% of the local population has been lost. This is mainly due to predators including cats, rats, stoats and ferrets. Black Cat has been working on trapping these predators around the [...]
January 10, 2009
CHRISTCHURCH GIRL STEPS FORWARD TO SAVE ENDANGERED HECTOR'S DOLPHINS
Fifteen year old Christchurch Avonside High School student Aescleah Hawkins has an unusual resolution for 2010 – this year, she has pledged to help stop the extinction of New Zealand’s endangered Hector’s dolphins. It’s an apt resolution for the new decade: the UN has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity, officially launching in Berlin [...]
September 19, 2008
NEW BOATS TO BE LAUNCHED
Two purpose built boats worth $350,000 are being launched in Akaroa by Black Cat Cruises on Friday 17 October. “Dolphin swimming and wildlife cruises bring thousands of visitors into our region every year,” Black Cat Cruises Managing Director Paul Bingham said. “It is vital we can provide a world class experience that matches, and hopefully [...]
July 24, 2008
FISHERMAN SAVED BY BLACK CAT FERRY
A Korean fisherman who fell overboard in Lyttelton Harbour this morning owes his life to the crew of a tugboat and the skipper of the Black Cat Cruises Diamond Harbour ferry. The man was thought to have fallen off the trawler at about 6am on Thursday morning and was spotted by the crew of the [...]