Stingray feeding in Gisborne was the highlight of my Reef Ecology Tour with Dive Tatapouri in New Zealand. . . . Standing thigh-deep in the ocean, I felt gentle pressure as the eagle ray brushed my leg. I pressed against my walking stick and held my ground.
Just before her second pass, I placed the food in my hand low in the water so she could glide over it. As she did, I felt a sucking, like a vacuum cleaner, as she ingested the food. Then, I quickly stood upright before the nearby kingfish nibbled at my fingers . . .
As a group, we followed our expert guide out to the reef, where we now stood shoulder to shoulder like a human wall for the short-tailed stingray and eagle rays to swim alongside. However, there is much more to it.
We had a briefing, donned waders (one-piece waterproof overalls and boots), learned how to shuffle our feet so as not to step on a ray, and to follow the guides as they know the seafloor, where to step, and where it drops off.
Learning about stingrays at Dive Tatapouri
We also talked about the importance of the sea to the indigenous Māori people as they relied on it for food and other resources. According to Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, “Māori believe that water is an energy, with many moods. It can be calm and life-giving, or dangerous and destructive. This energy is called Tangaroa – ‘god of the sea.’”
The wild stingray feeding in Gisborne is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that in itself is extraordinary. But to walk away an hour later with a better understanding of these graceful creatures and the ocean in which they live added to the experience. Dive Tatapouri’s Reef Ecology Tour is one of the many unique things to do in New Zealand. It’s an eye-opener, a surreal experience, and a fun and fascinating adventure.
Stingray feeding in Gisborne
On our reef ecology tour, we saw wild kingfish, eagle rays, and short-tail stingray. Had we tried to do this on our own, we may have seen nothing. The wild stingray that swam out to meet the group recognise and trust the handlers. The rays use electroreception, and it’s believed they identify people by their heartbeats. As the story goes: a person accidentally stepped on a ray, and from that day on, the animals all splashed them and swam away when he joined the group.
Our guides showed us how we to safely touch both types of rays, explaining that their skin is rough and scaly. However, they felt soft and slippery as they produce a protective layer of slime. In contrast, it is not good for the kingfish to be touched by humans as the oils on our skin irritate them and can lead to disease.
Dive Tatapouri’s Reef Ecology Tour focuses on animal and marine safety. Therefore, the amount of food given to marine animals is limited. The idea is to keep these wild rays and fish from becoming dependent on people for food. New Zealand law protects the stingray.
There is little question in my mind. My favourite Gisborne region activity is the Reef Ecology Tour with Dive Tatapouri.
Our bonus: We met Sir John Key and Christopher Luxon while stingray feeding in Gisborne
A second, slightly larger group joined us out on the reef. I glanced up and whispered to Jeff, “Look at that guy across from us.” As he did, he whispered back, “he looks a bit like John Key.” By now, I was convinced, “That is Sir John Key.” And it was.
We hand-fed wild stingray side by side with the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was one of the few to be wearing a business suit under his waders. And alongside him was Christopher Luxon, who at the time was CEO of Air New Zealand.
Hand feeding stingrays with Dive Tatapouri is a unique encounter and one that I recommend to anyone heading to Gisborne or the East Cape of New Zealand.
What to bring for a Dive Tatapouri Reef Ecology Tour
Whether you choose the stingray feeding or the snorkelling tour, Dive Tatapouri provides everything you need. However, remember to dress for the weather. If you wear long sleeves, be sure they can be rolled up. For the stingray feeding tour, Dive Tatapouri supplies waders and walking sticks.
Having never worn or even heard of waders before, I wondered how we were going to stay dry. It turns out waders are waterproof boots attached to waterproof overalls, and they do the job quite well. If you choose the summer snorkelling tour, Dive Tatapouri includes a wetsuit, snorkel, and mask.
Bring a waterproof camera – like the Olympus TG-5
We recently found the perfect camera for the job. Unfortunately, we discovered it after we visited. The Olympus TG-5 is waterproof, shockproof, crushproof, freezeproof, and dustproof.
Made for adventure, it’s the perfect sport and underwater camera. It takes amazing close-ups, high-resolution RAW stills and Ultra HD 4K video. Best of all, it’s portable, durable, and fits in my pocket.
Practical information on Dive Tatapouri
- Dive Tatapouri is in Tatapouri Beach, Gisborne, about 15 km east of central Gisborne on the East Cape of New Zealand.
- The Reef Ecology Tour requires low tide and is dependent on tides, weather, and sea conditions. You can check Gisborne tide times here.
- Reef tours are suitable for all ages.
- Bookings (reservations) at Dive Tatapouri are essential and can be made on their booking page.
- Allow about 90 minutes for the Reef ecology tour and the briefing.
- They are open from September until the end of May nearly every day. From June to August, they open as weather and conditions permit.
- From January through March, Dive Tatapouri offers the option to snorkel with stingrays, where you will also learn how and get an opportunity to safely touch the stingrays.
Gisborne accommodations
Low tide in Gisborne may be early or late. For us it was right before sunset, so we were glad to be staying in the Gisborne region. Plus, there are plenty of unique things to do in Gisborne.
Like most cities in New Zealand, there is a variety of accommodation options from which to choose, ranging from luxury to backpackers. We opted to stay in a midrange motel. Our top three recommendations are:
- Portside Hotel – Heritage Collection: This lovely boutique hotel sits at the water’s edge. Offering ocean views, a swimming pool and some fun and funky decor, it’s the perfect upscale stay in Gisborne. Reserve your stay at Portside Hotel.
- Waikanae Beach Motel: This is where we stayed, in a clean and tidy one-bedroom apartment. The proprietor is both friendly and helpful, making suggestions for meals and even moving my laundry to the dryer so I could get out to dinner quicker. It is perfect for families and anyone who wants to be close to the beach at an economical price. Reserve your stay at Waikanae Beach Motel.
Save on your NZ trip with these resources
These are our go-to companies when we travel. We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Accommodations: we use Booking.com (hotels), Bookabach (self-contained in NZ), or Hostelworld (budget). See all our personal favourite NZ hotels here.
- Cars (gas or electric): we use RentalCars to search for deals and dealer ratings.
- Motorcycles: we have heard good things about BikesBooking.
- Campervans: Our readers prefer Jucy, and we get consistently great feedback.
- Activity discounts: we check Bookme.com for discounts of up to 70% on activities.
- Private guides: we do have a go-to when we hire a private guide from Viator.
- Travel Insurance: while not required, we always opt for travel insurance and start at InsureMyTrip to compare coverage plans.
Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel. And don’t forget to download our free New Zealand packing list when you sign up for our newsletter.
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Read next: Enjoy an Auckland to Wellington Drive with These Stops
Will you do a reef ecology tour and stingray feeding or snorkel with the rays?
For more on New Zealand, start here: New Zealand Road Trips: Itineraries for North or South Island Adventures, or you might like …
Disclaimer: We worked with both Dive Tatapouri and Tairāwhiti Gisborne, the local tourism board. We were provided with complimentary entrances to assist in the writing of this review. The opinions expressed here are strictly our own.
Nas
Wow, the photos of the wild stingrays were amazing! I loved reading about the feeding experience and learning more about the biology of these incredible creatures. Thanks for sharing your adventure at Dive Tatapouri, can’t wait to experience it myself one day!
Kreete
How interesting, Rhonda. Certainly an once in a lifetime experience! I am a passionate ocean and wild animal conservationist and generally don’t like wild animal encounters that tour groups are participating in as you can never be sure they are ethical. As an avid scuba diver, I don’t think we should be feeding wildlife, but I’m glad you pointed out that Dive Tatapouri’s Reef Ecology Tour focuses on animal and marine safety and that the amount of food given to the animals is limited. Also good to know stingrays are protected in New Zealand.
Molly
What an amazing experience
Mollyx
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – what an amazing experience … quite incredibly an opportunity – and you’ve described it perfectly – even to the ex PM in a business suit … love the story and the pictures – excellent as always – cheers Hilary
Kate
The expressions on everyone’s faces in the first shot are absolutely priceless and you completely drew me in with your intro! I also love the respect that the Māori people have for the ocean. Learning these types of things about other cultures makes travel even more of an experience.
Handmade Jewelry Haven
Those were quite large!
I have been diving with them in the Bahamas and they were no where near that large!
Thanks for sharing!
– Lisa
Lydia C. Lee
Wow! That looks interesting (tho a little scary.) Swam with massive Mantas but they don’t have a stinger….
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
As an avid snorkeller I have seen lots of stingrays and the sight of them never fails to thrill. I have never heard of feeding them before though. It must have been an amazing experience.
Jennifer
I’ve visited the stingrays in Antigua and loved the experience. It was about a decade ago. What I’ve thought about more in recent years is how these animals become conditioned to come for an easy meal and I’m curious if it has negative impacts on them. Will they still naturally hunt for their food or just become lazy because they know an easy meal arrives when the tour groups show up.
It’s one of those hard things. Without encounters like this, will children be as interested in growing up to be marine biologists? Will people care as much about endangered species if they remain like mythical creatures in a book?
I don’t know. But I can say that as a scuba diver who has only been diving for a little more than two years now, my experience spotting whole schools of rays just doing their thing in the ocean is a lot more thrilling than my past experience with feeding them on a tour.
Carol
I’ve heard of stingray encounters before and I’d love to take this tour!
Punita Malhotra
Reading about your ecology tour feeding stingrays was fascinating. Especially the part about them having a risk of getting infected by human touch! New Zealand offers some really unique opportunities, doesn’t it?
Little Wandering Wren
What an extraordinary visit, the photo of you with the poles are so photogenic! We swam with stingrays somewhere and my daughter still has the war wound from being thwacked by one, which she is rather proud of! There was a bit of a feeding frenzy where we were so good to see your up close encounter was better managed
Wren x
sherianne
Stingray feeding! What?!? How do I not know about this? I’m doing this ASAP. On another note, love that the former Prime Minister was in the water wearing a suit and waders!
stevebethere
That looks fun and interesting you don’t half get up to a lot of unusual things heheh! nice post
Have a interestingtastic week Rhonda 🙂
Rosemary
What a fantastic experience and meeting the former Prime Minister as well. Very nice. I have to admit I didn’t know anything about stingrays before reading this article. What a great ecological and educational experience. Love it!
Fiona Maclean
That looks an amazing experience. Sometimes doing something so simple is such a special thing. I love that even the kids can join in – a great way to teach them a bit about nature
Carol Colborn
What an intriguing account of hand-feeding manta rays at the Reef Ecology Tour with Dive Tatapouri in New Zealand.! And Sir John Key, in suit, was there to do the same thing? How cool is that?
Christina Pfeiffer
Wow, those stingrays are enormous! I didn’t realise you could get so close to them in New Zealand. The eco experience with Dive Tatapouri looks like a fun activity, especially for travellers who are interested in nature.
Rhonda Albom
I would highly recommend this activity to anyone passing through the region.
Kimberly Erin Davies
This would be so cool! I love sting rays, they are such a graceful and social creature, I am sure they would be pleasant to feed!
Rhonda Albom
It was a lot of fun.
Hannah
What a unique and special thing to be able to do. I have seen rays in NZ, but never up close – being able to actually touch them and feed them – what a trip! It is great that you learnt about the significance of the sea life in the area and what they mean to the Maori people. And fancy that, John Keys was there too – how funny!
Rhonda Albom
It was a very special activity, both for what we did and who we met.
Nancie
Wearing a business suit under his waders is too funny! This sounds like a once in a lifetime experience. It sounds like the guides really know what they’re doing.
Rhonda Albom
Yes, I was amused by the business suit. The waders really do keep you dry.
hilary
What a fabulous experience and looks like they are very sensitive to the animals. There’s nothing like seeing animals in their natural habitats! I can only imagine how cool it must have been to feel them eating out of your hand!
Rhonda Albom
It was very cool to feed them.
Tomas
I am speechless! I had no idea you can get so close to rays or even you can feed them. This goes straight to the must-do things on New Zealand. Do you know why the rays are in so shallow water?
Rhonda Albom
We have rays by the marina near my house and the rays seem to come to the edges also. Perhaps they are looking for food.
Anda
Yes, I believe the Maori are right: water is an energy with many moods. Especially the ocean water. Feeding the sting ray must have been quite an experience. Although I’m not sure what was more exciting: hand-feeding the wild stingray or standing next to the former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Rhonda Albom
First, the stingrays showed up, then Sir John Key. It just got better and better.
Emily S
Wow, this is so unique and cool! I didn’t know this was even a thing!
Rhonda Albom
It was my favourite things to do in the area.
Paul Pietrangelo
It was quite an experience but weren’t you scared? Can they not kill you? I know that when we went on our cruise to the Cayman Island, one of the excursions was to even swim with the stingrays. Of course I never did it. See ya Rhonda.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
Yes, they can be dangerous if mistreated or threatened. An experienced guide was with us and I felt quite safe.
Tracy
Right that is going straight on my list for our visit to New Zealand next year! I am very scared of fish but I think wearing the waders will help (can’t stand the thought of them touching my skin lol) will also join your FB group – New Zealand is top of our list to visit when we can leave Australia (visa restrictions at the moment)
Rhonda Albom
You will love New Zealand and I hope the FB group gives you good ideas for your visit.
Nick Kembel
What an incredible experience this sounds like! Brings back memories of my trip to NZ, the first country I went to outside of my home country. Had no idea there were stingrays there though!
Rhonda Albom
There are stingrays, sharks, whale, penguins and plenty more here.
Jill Chapman
I have to admit that I would be nervous at doing this but sometimes the coolness of the experience outweighs the nervousness – and you just have to go for it. What a cool thing to do – and especially hanging out with the former Prime Minister. Things like that just don’t happen everyday. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I totally agree. I was not nervous about the stingrays but I am sometimes apprehensive about certain activities.
Olayinka
What an amazing experience with these beautiful sting rays! I hope to visit New Zealand one day. It looks amazing.
Rhonda Albom
There is plenty to do and see in New Zealand.
Kristin
I love this post. If I ever get to New Zealand I would love to have an eco adventure like this. The sting rays do look scary though!
Rhonda Albom
The stingrays were quite approachable as they were familiar with the guides.
California Globetrotter
Wow how cool to get to feed them! Such a unique experience and I think I would have preferred this that swimming with them in the Grand Cayman Islands and taking silly photos with them. I feel that that wasn’t very eco-friendly, but I was 18 and didn’t know any better!
Rhonda Albom
Our guides are extremely conscious of the environment and the marine life. They have a great attitude.
Danie
It’s so interesting how this is done where you live. In caribbean we are in the ocean with the stingrays and feed them. This looks like you had fun!
Rhonda Albom
It was fun and educational. The team at Dive Tatapouri do a great job.
Luci
That sounds so awesome being able to get to sting rays so close. If I ever get the chance to travel to New Zealand I would do everything that you listed.
Rhonda Albom
There is so much to do in New Zealand and feeding the stingrays was very special.
Ryan Biddulph
I was going to say Rhonda; the water and beaches looked very much like the East Cape. Amazing experience! The sting rays are huge but as you noted; although wild, there is a tameness to them, being familiar with the handlers in the area. Cool to see a former PM. In waders and suit no less LOL.
Ryan
Rhonda Albom
It’s true, the East Cape has a look to it. Such a wonderful place to be. The stingrays were an amazing experience, made even better wth by Sir John Key.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Feeding stingrays and meeting the former prime minister – quite the experience. I’ve touched smaller ones in aquariums, but it must’ve been something to feed a big one.
Rhonda Albom
It was so bizarre, they suck the food off our hand like a vacuum cleaner.
Comedy Plus
What a unique experience. Both the stingray and the politician. Great shots too.
Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. ♥
Rhonda Albom
Very true. It was amazing, and I highly recommend it if you get to New Zealand.