Best thing I could have done while in Picton. Chris and Courtney were fantastic on the tour. One could really feel the love and passion they have for the work, the area and their respect for eachother. Paul was also an excellent help over the phone when we were booking in. Great team! Thanks so much!

We had a great time on our tour! Alice was a brilliant guide and gave us so much info. We saw dolphins, penguins, seals and so many more animals. Would highly recommend!

Nothing but the best dolphin tour I've ever had in my entire life! It started with a cloudy, grey Friday morning and I did not expect too much. I joined the dolphin encounter group as a "viewer" and already enjoyed the boatride itself. The crew understands to keep the motivation since we first "only" saw one young seal jumping around a bit of floating kelp (what was very cute) and a hector dolphin with it's mother. Nobody expected what happened next: An incredible experience with several pots of Hectors ... jumping, curious and very playful - this feeling to be eye to eye with such an animal is just unbelievable. The crew explained a lot and the dolphins reacted on our waving/singing - we had more than enough time to enjoy this wonderful experience. After that we headed back to Picton and saw a group of Dusky dolphins so that your encounter group could go for a swim. I am happy and can only recommend the tours! A MUST in Picton. PS: Special thanks to the office - super friendly and helpful if you are not sure what's the best Tour for you.

One of the best things I’ve ever done! At the start it was slow but then 15 minutes in we saw dusky dolphins. We drove for a bit then we spotted a lot of animals we walked out to the front and found Australasian Gannets, NZ fur seals, dusky dolphins and Fluttering Shearwaters! The Australasian gannets were so cool when the do there amazing free fall and they can reach up to 100 km an hour when they hit the water. We stopped at the island for the hour walk and we check the first blue penguin box none then we check the second one none but there was one left but the guide said we will check it on the way down. We got up there and the view was amazing! It was an easy way down the track in my crocs! As the guide checks the last penguin box she said quiet guys there are two blue penguins. As I slowly walked they were so cool. Back on the boat I get a free hot chocolate for walking to the top of the hill. On the way back we saw blue penguins in the water on the way back and a massive group of dolphins. Overall it was worth the money for me definitely recommended :)

Paul from Eko-Tours sold me a part for my boat for $2,500 and he assured me it was in great working order. I paid to have it tested when it arrived to Australia from NZ and found out that it was leaking. I had to pay for more tests that included an X Ray of the part to see if it was repairable but the results came back saying that it had a major crack in the steel and was unusable. I made multiple calls, sent several messages, several emails and Paul did not even have the common decency to answer me. He just went silent. To date I have not heard a single word from him. He took the money and ran. Be very careful dealing with this company. They have no problems taking your money but good luck getting what you paid for.

What a wonderful experience, E-Ko tours are amazing, from booking to briefing and on the Dolphin tour. Knowable, friendly team making this a fabulous day out. The scenery was amazing along with seeing so many birds, including the rare King Shag, dolphins and seals. This was the perfect trip for family over from Australia, we all loved it, thank you E-Ko tours.

The children and I recently took the tour to Motuara Island. What a fabulous experience. Guides are knowledgeable and love what they do. I really wanted to see dolphins and penguins, got that and plenty more. Lots of wildlife, rare birds. We had fantastic weather, it was just so beautiful out there. Highly recommend, we really enjoyed it. Thanks all.

Fantastic way to spend time out on the water. The captain and tour guide Julie gave us excellent commentry and made sure we got to see as much wildlife as possible. Saw the gannets together on the water, the gorgeous penguins and King Shags. Being able to identify the bird life and use binoculars enhanced the experience. Loved the Hector dolphins that swam so close and under the boat. Would do again.

This was an incredible boat trip. Loads of information on the wildlife from our guide Alice as well as interesting local info. We saw lots of dusky dolphins, saw seals, Gannets, shags (even king shags) and Shearwaters all having an amazing mass feed (couldn't attach videos to review sorry). It was phenomenal to see. And it was lush seeing how excited the tour staff got too! Definitely recommend!

This experience was really well put together, and the thing that made it truly a wonderful time was the staff. The captain and tour guide ensured that we saw heaps of dolphins, getting so close to them you could've reached out and touched them! We also saw King Cormorants, which are one of the rarest birds in the world! See how much I learned 😌. The boat was comfortable despite the chilly spring weather. There was room inside to sit while we traveled from place to place. They gave us cookies and hot cocoa, and there was a clean restroom on board. Very comfortable. The staff were knowledgeable and very friendly, more over they were so enthusiastic, you could tell they truly loved their work, and that made it fun for everyone.

My wife and I took the Wildlife, Beach and Wine cruise on Jan 29/23 when we visited Picton on the Celebrity Eclipse. Despite the weather being a little rainy, Shane and Captain Andy made the tour great! We managed to spot a couple of seals in the water along with multiple sea birds. Shane and Andy's knowledge made the entire trip well worthwhile. On the island, we hiked to a 1,000 year old tree with Shane providing colour commentary of everything along the way. Courtney was the perfect hostess on the return trip, serving delicious NZ wine! Well worth the time when you're in port. Rob and Trish Hall

We weren't lucky enough to swim with the bottlenose dolphins this time but we did encounter a pod of hector dolphins! Unfortunately due to their size you're not permitted to swim with them but it was fantastic being in their presence they were so playful! Our guide Nikki was absolutely fantastic too and made us feel very welcome on board. Highly recommend a trip with these guys :)

Our Marlborough Sounds Wildlife tour today with Andy, skipper, and Nicky, guide, was top notch. My husband enjoyed were impressed from the moment we checked in to the E-Ko office in Picton due to the warm yet professional greeting, which continued throughout our experience. The tour begins with a briefing on what to expect during the tour and the company’s relationship with government bodies to support wildlife conservation and sustainability. Andy skippered and also commentated with ease and ability. Nicky ensured each and every passenger felt welcomed and included throughout the tour. The couples with young children were accommodated to ensure they, and their young children, had the best time possible while also ensuring safety. Nicky’s commentary was knowledgeable and clear re sustainability and the needs of preserving and protecting wildlife whose very existence is threatened. The boat was comfortable in a modest way, and refreshments were sufficient and well timed. Highly recommend this tour to all - singles, young families and retirees. You will not be disappointed!

We had a fantastic time with Andy and Shane yesterday who were so welcoming, knowledgeable and informative. They tried their very best to find us some dolphins to swim with but sadly they were not to be found. Despite this we had two amazing interactions with pods of Hector dolphins and a lovely swim with Mullets, Rays and tiny, beautiful (non-stinging) jellyfish. Thanks Andy and Shane. Highly recommended. Bob (UK)

Barry and I finished off 2022 with a lovely tour to Motaura Island with these guys. Courtney you are wonderful and full of knowledge. Your bubbly personality adds to the trip. No dolphins today but the luck of the draw. Saw so many different birds. Great on a smaller boat also. Highly recommend to anyone and you're helping to contribute to conservation by taking this tour. A big plus well done.

Made a new friend with Sam at E-Ko Tours. They didn't have enough to fill the afternoon Eco Tour but she sure tried. Meantime she pointed us to some recommended tracks and gave us suggestions on the best Fish and Chips in town. Good people.

Booked with E-Ko for a Queen Charlotte track drop off (better price than a water taxi), to my surprise this trip was way more than a drop off service... Sam was delightfully friendly, informative and helpful when I arrived early. Courtney did an awesome job on the wildlife tour en route to Ship Cove; within minutes we were surrounded by a playful group of bottlenose dolphins, after which, plently other sights and rare birds/penguins were quickly pointed out. Loved the banter of the owner too! Very knowledgeable and clearly cares deeply about conservation.

We had an amazing trip to Motuara Island with Shane and Andy. Their local knowledge was excellent and we loved seeing seals, dolphins and an array of different birds. The scenary on the trip and on Motuara is beautiful. I would highly recommend their tours.

Book in for dolphin swimming, no swimming with dolphins but the best experience of a close encounter with the Hector Dolphins was better than the swim. Absolutely outstanding service from all the team with Shane being quite the super star 🤣 well done guys was a fantastic day out.

My children and I had a fantastic morning with Courtney and team today. Friendly, knowledgeable hosts who made us feel very welcome. My 13 year old son was on Fur Seal spotting duty which he loved. The Hectors Dolphins were adorable with their calf and we were very lucky to meet DOC Kiwi Dog Brew on the island with her team. Fully recommend. We will be back!!

We had a fantastic day out with these guys. Saw lots of bird life. Seals and dolphins. The walk up Motuara Island to the viewing tower is well worth the effort. Pack a spray jacket as there is limited space inside the cabin and you will get wet from sea spray if you are sitting outside. Also bring food and water for children as there is no food available on board.

Wildlife adventure that is set apart from the rest. My family and I had an amazing time with the E-Ko crew Very educational, And they went right out of their way to provide nature at its best. The staff are amazing big shout out to Paul and Tanya for their amazing service, and time to shear what NZ hidden gems are tucked away. We did the Dolphin tour, the kids are still talking about it. Totally recommend E-Ko tours anyway We look forward to returning again soon

We took the 4 hour morning cruise, including Motuara Island and the whole trip exceeded all expectations. The vessel is perfect for viewing and we saw pods of dolphins, penguins, seals and seabirds, as well as those on the island. The crew are friendly and informative whilst the scenery all the way is stunning. 100% recommend this trip.

Loved this experience. Would have to be one of the better tours around. The crew were great, extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The skipper (Chris) knew the front of the vessel from the back which was helpful. Huge range of wildlife viewed and stunning scenery. Words don't do this experience justice, get out and have a look. Simply beautiful. Thanks heaps E-Ko Tours, you guys are choice.

I went on the dolphin swim with my 2 nieces. It was an amazing experience for all of us, one, where I would do it again. I highly recommend E-Ko tours. Paul and Nicky were wonderful hosts and I loved how knowledgeable they were about the dolphins and how they genuinely care for the dolphins and their surrounding environment. It was an awesome morning.

My aunt, my sister and I went on the dolphin trip with e-ko today. i had so much fun, the staff are super nice and always explaining what the dolphins were doing. they made sure the dolphins wanted us to swim with them so we didn’t annoy them. definitely recommend going on this tour. 10/10