Located in Leigh, north of Auckland, our Glass Bottom Boat operation provides a fun and educational adventure for guests of all ages. During this 45-minute eco-tour, you will see the fish, fauna, marine life, and birds that thrive in this protected reserve, as well as the mysterious caves and sea-battered rocky cliffs of Goat Island.
Our direct boarding from the beach allows guests to stay dry throughout the entire journey – making it a perfect activity during most of the year.
For our visitors keen to have a closer look at the Reserve’s marine life, we have kayaks and snorkel gear available for hire on the beach. The Kayak & Snorkel Hire operates seasonally during the warmer months.
Goat Island Marine Reserve is a tranquil escape, with dark, sandy, and rocky beaches, thriving marine life, and lush fauna.
Established in 1975 as New Zealand’s first marine reserve, Goat Island is a protected area, which has allowed sea life and fauna to recover and flourish. As a “no-take” zone, fishing is prohibited, as is taking any items from the beach or sea.
Part of our mission as an eco-tour is education – teaching the importance of preservation in these fragile ecosystems.
As an open reserve – meaning there are no barricades keeping marine life in or out of the Reserve – the species we encounter change daily.
Weather and sea conditions also affect the movements of marine life through the reserve – you never know what you will see!
Fish living in the reserve include snapper, blue maomao, parore, red moki, goatfish, leather jackets, sweep, blue cod, spotties, kelpfish, marble fish, eagle rays, and stingrays. Sometimes we even see dolphins, orca, whales, seals, and sharks!
Other marine life includes kina, turban shells, kelp, seaweeds, mosses, lichens, sponges, and anemones. Birds include pied shags, red-billed and Dominican seagulls, little blue penguins, reef herons, terns, gannets, and petrels.
I really enjoyed the Glass Bottom boat, we got to see different species of fish and seaweed. The commentary was great explaining the fish and the area. I thought it was very clever that we could board the boat from the beach. Well worth doing.
– Pipolata | TripAdvisorGriff and his crew of the Glass Bottomed Boat were wonderful! Very knowledgeable, friendly and with an eye to good safety. They took our group around the island and showed us a range of both wildlife and the features of Goat Island. They were keen to answer questions, and very engaging. Really Lovely.
– Oskar | TripAdvisorWe had a fantastic time, my boys had so much fun. Learnt a few new things. Staff was friendly and funny. Boat was clean. Thank you.
– Carmen | Trip AdvisorThe glass bottom boat was a great trip - for any age group. Griff the captain was knowledgeable & funny - we learnt about the local fish as well as history of Goat Island & the marine reserve. Seeing the caves around the back of the island was also cool. It doesn’t matter if you see a lot of fish or not, it is a fantastic experience! Highly recommend - even my grumpy teens had a good time!
– Vicky H. | TripadvisorThe Goat Island Glass Bottom Boat provides a dry and safe opportunity to view the undersea wonders of the marine reserve. Captain Griff provides a narrative that is informative and entertaining, but not overdone. We all appreciated his efforts to maximize the experience without jeopardizing safety. Go and enjoy!!
– barbaragloma | TripadvisorAMAZING! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip on the glass bottom boat today. Although the water was a bit green and difficult to see through (nature is nature 😁) we still had an amazing time. The captain ensured he tried his best to make the trip worth while and do what he could to make sure the sun was shining on the right side of the boat and trying to find some clear spots.
– Amy R. | TripadvisorWe just happened to walk to the beach when the trip was departing and the lady on the booking table said “pay when you come back” ! So we were a bit sceptical and boarded with 30 odd other tourists and set off towards the Bay, spotting Snappers,Moto fish and Sting Rays when suddenly the Skipper spotted a pod of Bull Nose Dolphins !!!! We followed them and they performed acrobatic jumps and showed off their calfs. It was absolutely mind blowing and a once in a life time experience!
– Vivianr | TripadvisorMy family and I had a wonderful trip on this boat. Whatever you do don’t miss it. The location is stunning the water blue and crystal clear and the crew knowledgable and fun. The commentary was brilliant informative and funny too. It was so good we went twice! It’s a fun hunt to see what you can see nd every time seems to be different. We were blessed to see an amazing array of fish, an eagle ray, and underwater vegetation, peering down at their world was just incredible.
– Sarah H. | Tripadvisor
