Meet Rachel McGregor, skipper and wildlife tour operator
At 23 years of age and after having been offered a full-time job as a wildlife guide at Taiaroa Head, I found myself now working with one of the largest sea birds in the world. How my views on birds swiftly changed! I was observing these graceful giants daily and learning how interesting these long lived and hugely oversized sea birds really were. I found myself hunting around in storage, trying to find that old bird book, from my grandfather! When my grandfather gave me a bird book when I was 9, I could not have thought of a more boring present, at the time!
Despite my initial lack of enthusiasm for birds, my passion for other wildlife came early on.
As a child growing up in British Columbia, I had many opportunities to see animals in the wild and had my first experiences on boats. After my family moved to Dunedin I spent more than 15 years working on and skippering commercial boats on the Otago Harbour including passenger, research, oil spill recovery, search and rescue, dredger and work boats. I'm still involved in marine oil spill recovery and coastguard work today.
In 2018, I set up Port To Port Cruises & Wildlife Tours to share my knowledge and help locals and visitors alike get closer to Dunedin's spectacular wildlife.
Now I'm backed by a friendly, knowledgeable team who help man the boat and run the tours. All the guides have been interacting with local wildlife for many years and have decades of experience. They know the best places to view wildlife.
Whether you live in Dunedin, or are visiting, we look forward to welcoming you on board MV Sootychaser and providing you with a memorable and immersive experience on the water.
Introducing MV Sootychaser
MV Sootychaser was custom-built by Osprey during the first eight months of 2018 and is the first boat of its kind to offer passenger services on Otago Harbour. It is custom built for maximum comfort, speed and outstanding viewing opportunities.
The vessel is named Sootychaser after the Sooty shearwater, New Zealand’s muttonbird. The Sooty shearwater comes into New Zealand at the start of October. As we are out on the boat during this time, and the shearwaters are often around, it feels like we are always chasing them - hence the name.
The MV Sootychaser is designed to give you:
- Close viewing of wildlife - MV Sootychaser has been specially designed to be low in the water to get up close and personal with local wildlife and the open deck gives sweeping views. The vessel’s shallow draft allows us to get closer to places often out of reach to other boats.
- Speed to go where the wildlife is - Mv Sootychaser is speedy so we don't miss special and spur-of-the-moment viewing opportunities. After all, these moments are the most exciting part of our Dunedin wildlife tour.
- A comfortable trip - MV Sootychaser has been built with passenger comfort in mind. Onboard you’ll enjoy a heated cabin, modern bathroom facilities and comfortable seating inside and out. The boat's stable design means a smooth, comfortable ride for everyone.
Now is the time to experience one of the best things to do in Dunedin. Rachel and her crew look forward to welcoming you aboard MV Sootychaser for an exhilarating harbour boat cruise, wildlife tour or private charter.