Meet the friendly locals

Isolated from humanity for centuries, our wildlife never learned to bite or sting, so it needs our protection from introduced plants and animals.

Share stories of our fascinating natural history, secure in the knowledge that we are contributing to its long-term flourishing. 

Experience our wildlife on every trip.

Kayak to a Seal Colony (Kekeno)
Choose Beaches, Bays & Seals guided kayak day trip

View Seals From the Boat
All our Vista Cruise trips pause for photographs at the seal colony on Adele Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Cruises into the northern beaches also pause at the seal colony in Tonga Island Marine Reserve.

Sea Birds Flourish
Cormorants and Gulls are common on the sculpted granite coast. Watch out for Terns, Shearwaters, Gannets and Little Blue Penguins. Oyster Catchers and Ducks will amuse you on the beaches. You might see Snipes and Dotterels in the estuaries.

Forest and Ground Birds
Cheeky Weka and Pukeko will greet you at campsites and try to steal your lunch. The forest rings with the melodies of Bellbird (Korimako) and Tui, accompanied by the chatter of Fantails (Piwakawaka) and trilling of Grey Warbler (Riroriro).

Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust
This local group of volunteers works with Project Janszoon philanthropic trust and Dept. of Conservation to restore habitats for native birds. Thanks to this group you can see Kea, the charismatic parrot, around Bark Bay. Also returning to the park are Blue Ducks (Whio), South Island Robin (Toutouwai), Saddle Back (Tieke) and Brown Teal (Pateke).