Wondering if you can see dolphins in Akaroa during your New Zealand trip? Discover why the rare Hector’s dolphins live in Akaroa Harbour 365 days a year, explore seasonal wildlife spotting tips, and find out everything you need to know about nature cruises and dolphin swimming experiences.
Take the Black Cat Ferry to Diamond Harbour and check out the newly refreshed Harbour Haze Café Bar. Featuring a seasonal menu, rotating craft beer taps, and cosy indoor-outdoor spaces, it’s the perfect harbour day trip.
Discover why winter is Akaroa’s best-kept secret. From calm harbour cruises with Hector’s dolphins and dark-sky stargazing to cosy local dining and misty mountain walks, explore the top things to do in Akaroa in winter.
We are incredibly proud to share that we are now Gold Supporters of the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust!
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.
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!
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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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). [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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’ [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
