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Goat Island Marine Reserve, Warkworth

4.5
#2 of 24 in Things to do in Warkworth
Wildlife Area · Nature / Park
To best experience the teeming marine habitats of Goat Island Marine Reserve, get in the water with a snorkel or scuba suit. Beneath the waves you can see seaweed forests, sponge gardens, and a multitude of colorful fish. If you'd rather stay dry, take a tour on a glass-bottomed boat, or rent a kayak or canoe. The onsite discovery center teaches visitors about life under the sea and offers a look at sea creatures housed inside a tide pool tank. To visit Goat Island Marine Reserve on your trip to Warkworth, use our Warkworth day trip app.
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Tours to Goat Island Marine Reserve

FROM $36 BOOK WITH VIATOR Glass Bottom Boat Tour
Duration: 45 minutes
Tours from $36 »
FROM $53 BOOK WITH VIATOR Guided Snorkel Experience, Advanced
Duration: 1 day 1 hour
Tours from $53 »
FROM $53 BOOK WITH VIATOR Guided Snorkel Experience, Beginners
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Tours from $53 »

Goat Island Marine Reserve reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
328 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • By NakiJoyces
    We went to Goat Island in July, it is a really nice place to go for a nice walk and the rock formations are quite cool, and the kids enjoyed looking for "treasure" in the rocks. We went out there a...  more »
  • By Laura L
    Grabbed snorkels and the kids spent the day here spotting fish and manta rays! Clear, warm water, safe swimming environment it was an absolute must do if you are in the area. The beach is pretty, the....  more »
  • By fairywings1
    Beautiful place and beach. We snorkelled there and it was absolutely wonderful (equipment can be rented right on the beach). Lots of different fish, crabs, stingrays and many more. Make sure that you....  more »
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Google
  • By Kathryn Gilmore
    Beautiful marine reserve perfect for a day of snorkelling and exploring the rock pools - plenty of marine life to see. The water is calm and clear so great for beginners; it was also still quite cool in summer but a swimsuit was fine. The beach area itself is quite narrow and high tide will cover most of the sand, so be prepared to move around a bit. There are bathrooms but no other buildings around, so pack water / a picnic if you're planning to spend the whole day.
  • By Jae Park
    Great experience, lots of fish to see in the water and often they follow you around. Try pick a day after there has been a day or two of low winds. Even if it's sunny, if it was or it's windy, the water becomes murky and visibility drops down to a few metres.
  • By Carl Barlev
    One of the best places for snorkeling in NZ. We arrived by boat and anchored 50 m from the beach, but most people drive up from Auckland and other towns nearby. There were dozens of people swimming, snorkeling and kayaking off the beach and around Goat Island.
  • By Angie Leong
    A lot of people in the summer, try to get there before 9.30am to find a spot. Not much space at the beach in high tide. Good snorkelling spot.
  • By Intaaz Joseph
    Very beautiful place for snorkeling. Have options to hire kayak and snorkeling gears. Best to take reef shoes as alot of rocks.
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Trips to Goat Island Marine Reserve by other users

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