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All 37 Paihia Attractions »

Carino Sailing & Dolphin Adventures

67 School Rd, Paihia 0247, New Zealand
619 4028040
Ranked #11 of 28 tours in Paihia
4.5 of 5 stars 20 Reviews
Type: Tours
Owner description: Come sailing on Carino NZ. Help to hoist sails or sit back and relax. We are the only yacht licensed to swim and view wild dolphins in the Bay.... more » Owner description: Come sailing on Carino NZ. Help to hoist sails or sit back and relax. We are the only yacht licensed to swim and view wild dolphins in the Bay. Included is an island stopover for Snorkeling tours, Island walks, beach games and BBQ lunch. Depart Paihia 9.30am-3.45pm daily. « less
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20 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Melbourne
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 February 2012

Dont you love going on tours/attractions operated by people that are passionate about what they do. Vanessa's ' Carino' catariman is a great day out on the water ,on a lovely boat in a lovely part of the world. In 6 hours you will be sailing, swimmimg with dolphins, lunching,snorkeling, and generally soaking up the glorious scenary. It is excellant... More

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Dallas, Texas
Top Contributor
69 reviews 69 reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
63 helpful votes 63 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 February 2012

As explained by the crew, you may not always see dolphins or get to swim with them if they are feeding, have a baby, or fighting. This is the wild, and nothing can be guaranteed. Lucky for us, we found a pod and were able to observe the dolphins for over 30 minutes. We saw amazing jumps and they came... More

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Auckland
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 January 2012

After searching for a trip to see the dolphins in the BoIs I came across Carino. I had been wanting to get out onto the water but was hoping to avoid the large tourist boats & get more of a sailing experience...and this was the ticket. The Carino is a lovely good sized cateraram with a friendly & entertaining crew.... More

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New Port Richey, Florida
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

It was a lovely day and, as a sailor, I truly loved watching all the regattas throughout the day. While this was NOT at all what I was expecting, the day was nice. Frstly, this review is SUBJECTIVE. I am a woman captain that owns my own sailing charter company. Carino & my company, perhaps, have different goals and objectives... More

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Vanessa McKay, Owner at Carino Sailing & Dolphin Adventures, responded to this review
4 February 2012

Dear Wind song Charters I am sorry that our tour was not what you expected. Our tour is designed to show the environment and enjoy the natural beauty of the Bay of Islands. Most of our guests are not sailors as enjoy the sounds of sailing, when the engines are turned off, this is a new experience for them. I... More

NZ
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 December 2011

Today we experienced an amazing trip on the Carino. Personal service........ just a few passengers....fabulous crew....I am a Kiwi and whoa what a treat it was to have 6 hours in the Bay of Islands ....sailing..snorkelling....swimming...BBQ lunch.....dolphins, penguins and gannets...suitale for all ages and needs....lots of different experiences and places........this is unbeatable so do it - you wont be disappointed....well... More

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Shanghai, China
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 December 2011 via mobile

A fantastic days sailing, viewing & swimming with the dolphins was just awesome - a real once in a lifetime trip. Vanessa & Scott were fantastic with so much knowledge & passion for what they do. Highly recommended - don't go on the big boats, go with these guys!

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Lincoln, Nebraska
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 November 2011

On my dream trip to New Zealand (which was Nov-Dec 2010), our first day after arriving from the U.S. was spent with Carino in the Bay of Islands. My husband and myself along with our 8 year old son boarded the Carino vessel in Paihia with 5 other guests. I was incredibly excited at the potential to see dolphins and... More

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2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2011 via mobile

Even though we didn't see dolphins, captain and crew were knowledgeable and provided us with a great trip.

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Eugene
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 February 2011
1
person found this review helpful

While we did not see any dolphins on our trip, it was still well worth the money. We had a fantastic day on the catamaran sailing through the Bay of Islands. Stopped off at a small islands with the beach to ourselves. There were not a lot of people onboard and the staff were very friendly. We highly recommend this... More

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Ballarat
1 review
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 January 2011

I traveled on the Carino Catamaran Sunday the 16th of January 2011. I was very disappointed with the lack of hospitality from the tour host, he was rude and short with almost everyone on the ship. From rolling his eyes at questions I asked (in regards to swimming with the dolphins) to constantly and rudely telling people to get out... More

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Vanessa McKay, Owner at Carino Sailing & Dolphin Adventures, responded to this review
24 January 2011

Dear 123CJ123 I am sorry that you had a very disappointing tour on Carino. I thank you for your feedback as all feedback is valuable to us. I have spoken to the crew from the day you came sailing. He apologies for any unpleasantness you received from him. With regards to not swimming with the dolphins. The other dolphin operator... More

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