Unforgettable experience Absolutely fabulous day out was had! Weather was perfect, we could not have asked for a better day. Michael and Xavier were welcoming, engaging and so enthusiastic in sharing their knowledge. Right off the bat we had a whale raise out of the ocean directly in front of us!!! The. The magnificent seals, amazing caves, the beautiful dolphins - so many dolphins, and seals swimming with them too! That was all before the tour on Maria Island! So grateful to have had this wonderful experience. Thank you Michael and Xavier :)

SPECIAL DAY 22/11/25 Ile Des Phoques and Maria Island . Saturday 22nd November 2025 . Amazing experience and a day to remember !
We were blessed with great weather and then it got better !
Two whales breaching in front of us and then coming right up to the boat .
Masses of dolphins leaping in and out of the boats wake , Captain Mike doing loops to encourage them further and on it continued for ages !
This was after our stop at Ilse Des Phoques , guaranteed seals but the experience of the smaller juveniles playing in the water and in and around the boat was great .
The boat was comfortable with Captain Mike so competent & knowledgeable in commentary of the area.
Offsider Xavier led the tour of Maria , knew his stuff , we took in the islands convict past and subsequent commercial activities , very interesting and my partner saw wombats ! which she keen on.
Highly recommend the experience with this Company , everything from initial organisation , great lunch on board with refreshments .
Great attention to detail about expected days activities which turned out above & beyond expectations ! . Mike & Xavier were blown away with the days encounters on the water , no reason why it couldn't happen again !

Great tour, great crew! Would do again Amazing experience with a great crew!

We had the opportunity to see seals, dolphins, whales, eagles, pied oyster birds, wombats, padamelons, and more! Fantastic wildlife viewing experience and nothing felt rushed. I highly recommend this as you cannot reach the Island of Seals without a guided tour.

About the crew: Michael, Xavier, and Ruby were all so kind and helpful throughout the entire trip and went above and beyond! I was sick on the boat and Michael made sure that I had a safe way of getting home. The staff drove me to my accommodation and checked in on me even afterwards. I highly recommend this company for tours.

Tips to know: You spend a lot of time in the boat so make sure to take sea-sickness medication ahead of time! They have plenty of beverages on board and sick bags as well as towels and sunscreen. Make sure you pack light snacks as the tour is long and there are no shops or cafes on Maria island. If you are sensitive to smells or get migraines easily, make sure you sit at the top of the boat when going to the Island of Seals because the seals can be smelled from quite a distance LOL.

Not to be missed. A full boat load in perfect conditions today, for a circumnavigation and guided walk. We ticked every wildlife box with whales, dolphins, sea Eagle, Shy Albatross, and seals; and on land, wombats, Tassie native hens, pademelons and wallabies, and cape Barren geese. Mike (captain) gave a brilliant clear commentary, and Ruby looked after us all with morning teas, lunches to order, drinks and then a very pleasant walk around the settlement. My hat off to them both and a huge thank you for an awesome day.

Fabulous Cruise An absolutely marvellous cruise around Maria Island. Matthew the boat captain was wonderful, very knowledgeable, great boat driver, excellent commentary and very friendly. the craw were also great, helpful, knew a lot and were very happy to chat and share their experiences.
Thank you everyone, we really, really enjoyed this cruise. 10/10

Most incredible day! This cruise lived up to everything we could have expected. The Ile des Phoques is the most incredible place we have ever been to. Michael and his crew made sure we had the best experience possible.

We had perfect weather conditions allowing us to enter both sea caves at the Ile des Phoques (twice) and Also the stalagmite cave on Maria island. The penal settlement on Maria island dates back before Port Arthur and has an amazing history. A must do trip!

Spectacular Day Out We had the most amazing day touring around Maria Is. The weather was great, we saw dolphins and seals, wombats and wallabies. The lunch was excellent, as was the service. Michael, Bella and Molly were outstanding, so knowledgeable and friendly. The small group size allowed for easy viewing and not feeling crowded or rushed. The edges of the island viewed from the water are truely spectacular.

Maria Island Cruise We have been travelling in Tasmania for 2 months and our cruise has been our best day. We were very lucky to have perfect weather which allowed us to go into the sea caves which are stunning. The crew were passionate about the area and gave an excellent commentary, including the Darlington tour with Molly. Lunch was a salad which was delicious and quite large. We oud highly recommend this tour.

Wow what an awesome day out! What a fabulous cruise! We got a great day to circumnavigate Maria Island - going inside a sea cave was awesome. Lots of wildlife was seen throughout the day. The crew were fabulous - nothing was any trouble and they were all very knowledgeable. Highly recommend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Perfect weather and great day out! Tansen and Skipper Steve gave our group an unforgettable, enjoyable and informative day on this tour. Loved it all from beginning to end. Steve skilfully manoeuvred the boat into the colourful caves and close to seals for a close up encounter. Scientist/deckhand Tansen kept us well informed and answered questions while accommodating our every need. The food, scenery, wildlife and boat excursion (we had near perfect weather) was exceptional and exceeded all expectations! Totally recommend this one!

Experienced staff My first trip after arriving in Tasmania and it was amazing. Skipper Steve, deckies Molly and Xavier made sure we are all safe, comfortable and entertained. You could tell Steve is really experienced at how he navigate the waters and was very knowledgable. Educated us on the geography of the rocks as well. We were lucky with the good weather and the many dolphins, whale sightings.
Molly guided us on the land walk and we came across a number of wildlife (wombat, echidnas, etc)
And since the boat was smaller than the other service boat, we had a cozy group. No delays as well.
Overall, would recommend it.

Beautiful island with great company - but prepare for weather Beautiful cruise seeing Maria island from the seaside. The cliffs and rock formation are very unique, including entering one of the limestone caves. The guide did a good job explaining everything. The chalking the island itself was also very enjoyable and we hmfot to see a lot of animals incl wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, and beautiful birds. The landscape is very pretty.
You really should dress very warm and be ok with large waves abd getting wet. We went in spring, and even coming from a cold country I was surprised how cold it was. Several guess got seasick. The boat is covered but they open the sides and you will feel the wind and water very strongly, so please prepare extra well! It's worth it, just make sure you are up for it.

2nd time on a Boat Tour and both tours are very Good! Approx 7 years ago my husband and I enjoyed the boat tour.
This time we had my parents with us and we wanted to show them the best of Tassie so we booked another Tour of Maria Island.
Dad has a wheel chair and can walk assisted with walking sticks, the staff helped my father board the boat & assisted with his wheel chair for the Maria Island 2 hour walk.
Both tours are fantastic, beautiful full day of touring, we saw whales, seals, dolphins, eagles and on the island we saw wombats, wallabies & cape baron Geese.
Great value, lovely staff, tasty fresh lunch & morning tea.

Worth a Bumpy Ride The day before the Ile des Phoques tour I received an SMS advising that it would have to be changed to the Maria Island circumnavigation due to high winds. However, on the day, the skipper Mike left it up to us group of 12 to decide whether we wanted to weather the rough seas. We all did, and so we went. The ride was rough, indeed, but it was worth it. When we reached the island, the sea calmed down a bit, the sun came out, we saw a few seals and went into some awesome sea caves with rainbow-coloured walls. After another bumpy ride we anchored in calm waters off Maria Island for a delicious lunch, before having two hours on the island itself. It was a great trip which I would do again without hesitation, especially since it can be done ex Hobart, so that you don't need your own transport.

Fantastic day trip cruise Wonderful day trip with Mike and Freya. As the weather conditions were favourable we got to see inside some caves as well. Enjoyed Maria Island and getting to see wombats in their habitat. It’s great to be able to experience these wild and beautiful places.

So great! Rachel she is amazing. Nice boat nice view although it was cloudy first but the whole journey is amazing.

Seal the deal! In the month of May 2025 my wife and I decided to visit Maria Island and Ile Des Phoques on the East coast of Tasmania. After reviewing the available tours we decided to book a tour with Maria Island Cruises.
This turned out to be one of the best ever days we had on our trip to Tasmania. The boat itself had plenty of viewing areas,and room to move around freely to photograph the scenery and wildlife. Michael the tour operator and his crew were amazing. They provided an abundance of delicious food and drinks and were very attentive on the whole trip. Michael added much information through the trip on the history of the area, seals, interesting rock formations, beautiful sea caves and the behaviour of the local and migrating wildlife to name a few.
We would thoroughly recommend this tour to everyone young or old. Don’t hesitate!

Great day out Great trip. Loved being out on the water, getting up close to see seals, walking over island to admire the views and wombats. Excellent service and well organised business who know and respect the area.

Awesomeness! Awesome guides and skipped. They made the trip really fun. The whole day was jam packed of things to do. And the wombats, that’s everything that I wanted to experience. Maria Island was just a paradise.

What a great, wonderful, exceptional day out....Well Done Michael was our Skipper and Hugh our guide for the day. Michael's skill over the water and into some of the caves on Ile Des Phoque was exceptional. His passion and knowledge for the area was just as great. We had a remarkable lunch watching seals in their natural environment playing and talking with 1 another. Then down to Fossil Bay to view the cliffs and around to Painted Cliffs before docking at Darlington on Maria Island where Hugh took us around to talk about it's history. We also saw wombats, Cape Barron geese and some kangaroos. On the way home we heard there was a couple of Orca's in our vicinity, so Michael diverted the boat for a time to see if we could find them. Unfortunately not, so we headed for home. An absolutely wonderful day. Glad we opted for the boat tour.

Amazing trip, thank you Maria island cruises The crew were absolutely amazing and the arrangements were also perfect. The entire experience in all was really good and we all enjoyed a lot

Fabulous day seeing Maria Island Owner and supremely skilled, knowledgeable skipper Michael and his trusty off sider made sure we had the best day on the water, viewing the Maria coastline and exploring part of the island. The boat’s construction is brilliant and means you can move around from the bottom to top deck at any time. Food and drinks were good quality and generous. Would highly recommend this trip, loved it.

A good day out with the seals What a fantastic trip this was and lucked out with the weather, so we were able to go to see the seals at Ille des Phoques (Isle of seals) and enter the sea caves in the boat. While there we had a light snack while watching the seals at play.
Next onto Maria Island after a pre ordered lunch for a history info walk around the buildings. Lots of Wombats to photo as well.
Bravo to Michael the skipper and Rachael the hostess and tour guide. Both are very knowledgeable about the islands and their history.

Magnificent Day What a magnificent day with Michael and Olivia on board Maria Island Cruises today! Dolphins, seals, albatross and spectacular sea caves ..and a great morning tea and lunch! Thoroughly recommend this cruise!

Great experience Great crew the weather was good sea a little rough but handled very well great commentary both on the boat and on land saw dolphins on the way home and the food was excellent highly recommended

Awesome day with fabulous staff Awesome day on Spirit of Maria. We did the circumnavigation of the island plus the two hours on land where we did part of the guided tour and then had a swim. Staff were amazing - Steve and Rachel! It had a very intimate vibe with only 25 passengers capacity. Morning tea was yummy - we moored up at Whalers Cove and then for lunch which was also yummy and included a wine or beer we moored at Chinaman’s Bay which was beautiful! We saw amazing coastline, seals, caves and the boat ride itself was exhilarating. It was great to also spend time on the island. Would totally recommend this tour!

Great tour. Loved every minute. Would definitely recommend We had a fabulous day with great experiences delivered excellent knowledgeable guides. The time spent with the seal colony and exploring the caves on Ile des Phoques was amazing and unforgettable. The tour on Maria was interesting with lots of good information on the buildings and fauna provided by our expert guide. It gave us a good taste of the island and we hope to visit again.

Thank you Steve for the magnificent manoeuvre of the boat through the coasts and caves. And thank you Hugh for taking care of us, the food, the walking trail and the hunt for the cutest wildlife. This is my favourite tour out of all the tour I did in Tasmania. Thank you for an amazing day 🫶❤️

Worth the trip We thought trip was great and glad we did it. We enjoyed Michael’s commentary which was informative and interesting. The food was great.

Excellent Special thanks to Mike for transmitting your passion and for your kindness ! (Hope you got your power bank back!)

A Day with Maria Twas a wet drizzly day with swells rolling the boat BUT oh wow! doesn't describe the experience of Maria
Rain brought out the vibrant colours of the rock cliffs - truly painted
I did the Circumnavigation cruise and so glad I did as many of the island coastline caves, limestone layers, painted and fossil rocks would not have been visible from shore
Dolphins, seals, sea eagles, gannets, big kelp gulls and albatross YES albatross were all in close view
Staff go out of their way to make sure you have a memorable trip and provide high quality ice cream as well as catering for dietary needs in their provided meals

Great cruise and walk in a beautiful part of the world From the minute we boarded to when we got off we felt cared for and entertained. Mike, our driver was very competent, careful and cognisant of the wishes of the customers, as well as full of interesting knowledge of the area.Tamsyn was likewise very helpful and entertaining in her local knowledge and patient with our many requests.
We loved the walk on Maria island and the many stories of people who had lived there.
Also our lunch and morning tea on the boat were delicious and plenty even for our growing teenage grandkids. They, by the way, were very excited at the amount of wildlife we encountered, especially the wombats.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting the area.

A great day out A truly amazing day. We saw so much wildlife and natural beauty. The staff were very knowledgable, lunch and drinks were great. Couldn't ask for more.

A wonderful tour! Well worth it. This was a spectacular day-cruise. Ile des Phoques exceeded my expectations. Hundreds of seals & cormorants, a Little Penguin, Shearwaters, a Sea Eagle amongst other birds, and some dolphins were seen relatively close by while the crew were taking great care not to disturb them. The crew took great care of us and were very knowledgeable about the marine life, history and geology of the islands. They took the boat into some beautiful sea caves which shone in greens and orange-red colors. The lunch and tea were delicious and there was plenty. Maria Island has a fascinating shoreline that was sculpted and 'painted' by many millions of years of geological processes. The recent period of human occupation (Aboriginal and British) was outlined in our 2 hour walking tour of the settlement of Darlington. This tour was a big highlight of our visit to Tasmania.

This is the best cruise I've been on. The small cruises really let the crew get to know you and make it that much more tailored to suit your preferences. The views and the wildlife were incredible and the crew had tonnes of information on everything. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting to see the island, animals and scenery with a crew that go out of their way to make you feel welcome and the best trip they possible can.

THE BEST Tassie tour! The trip was the best in Tasmania. The scenery was magic, the skipper and crew second to none, and so full of information and historical facts and stories. We absolutely would do this tour again.

What an amazing, fantastic day. We had caught the ferry the previous day to Maria Island, so this was an excellent opportunity to see it from the sea. It was on a small boat with plenty of room upstairs outside and the downstairs interior to move around.

Our first stop to watch the seals at Ile des Phoques. It used to be a seal hunting area, but thankfully, now a successful breeding area. It was wonderful to see all the seals basking in the cool sunshine without fear of being hunted.

Then our wonderful captain, Michael showed his skills at getting the boat 🚢 👏 into caves (and safely out again 😉). Amazing.

Finally, lunch (pre-selected and the company is very thoughtful about dietary requirements) was served by the lovely Rachel, and was enjoyed by everyone before cruising past the painted cliffs and to Darlington on Maria Island with plenty of time allowed to walk around on our tour.

You really must book this cruise!

Had the best day out with Micheal and Zoe on their last trip of the season. We had amazing weather, and were able to circumnavigate the whole island, we saw 4 different species of pelagic birds, humpback whales, seals, wombats, incredible geological formations and both their knowledge, hospitality and passion for the island were 5⭐️ highly recommended tour

A perfect day We have been on cruises observing seals before but learnt so much more about their behavior on this cruise! Sitting quietly watching the seals, wombats and other wildlife was a real highlight. We couldn't fault anything about this tour - the scenery, food, caring and knowledgeable guides, small group, comfortable boat and itinerary were all perfect. Maria Island is so special - not only beautiful but has a fascinating history and interesting geology.
Thank you very much Michael and Rachel for a truly magical day visiting Ile Des Phoques and Maria Island!

Must do Tassie experience Amazing rock formations, wildlife and history. Mike the skipper made our trip comfortable, Zoe spotted a whale for us. Great lunch. This is a must in Tasmania but book ahead.

There is a reason this trip has 100% excellent reviews Absolutely amazing day! From the boat that was small enough but big enough to enjoy an intimate experience, to the gorgeous scenery, the animals that were everywhere, and the crew that made the day, our trip was faultless. While spotting a whale and having the dolphins and seals chase the boat was fun, the wombats were definitely the highlight for us, and wonderful that we could see so many in the wild. Thanks to Michael and Zoe for a truly memorable experience.

Great fun for the whole family. Great reviews so we went and were impressed. The crew are so attentive and we felt so safe every step of the way. We saw so much and the whole family were impressed. This is a must when you are in Tassie. You won't be disappointed.

A perfect day on the water The circumnavigation was curtailed due to weather, but it was still a spectacular and entertaining day. Michael, Rachael, and Zoe did their utmost to make every guest feel personally attended to.

The stories and information each imparted gave context; the water, cliffs, and wildlife all gave their very best.

Triabunna is an excellent locale, enhanced by such a great experience.

Amazing day out! The trip was an all round amazing experience! Would recommend to all. The staff were fantastic - informative, knowledgeable and so friendly. The boat was comfortable and clean and lunch was excellent. The seals, dolphins and wombats were all perfectly behaved and posed for many pictures!
Would also give an honourable mention to the excellent breakfast toasty we got from the cafe meeting point!

Far exceeded expectations We took the Ile Des Phoques + Maria Island Cruise & Walk Day Tour on a party cloudy day at the end of February with our Japanese friends who are resident in WA. We are locals from Tasmania. We all had a wonderful, exciting, interesting time. We were never rushed and never bored. The Skipper and Crew (Zoe & Rachel) were fantastic, organised, very friendly, informed and overall great company. The time at Ile des Phoques was fantastic, young seals playing around the boat and we entered into two amazingly colourful caves. In a beautiful, calm bay off Maria Island lunch was served efficiently and was very good. Everyone's lunch (pre-orderered and part of the package) was named and by this time the crew knew all our names so quick service. Drinks were included.
We had a good views from the ship to the coastal highlights of Maria Island before docking at the quay for our two hour stay on the island. After an informative guided walk we voyaged home with a pod of dolphins. We have since been busy recommending this boat tour to all our friends, a wonderful day out.

Great day out This was a great tour. We travelled out to Ile Des Phoques and had morning tea watching the seals swimming around and enjoying the attention. We then travelled through some hidden sea caves which was amazing. This was followed by a delicious lunch and viewing of the Painted Cliffs. We then headed to Maria Island where we saw wombats and pademelons wandering around and were given a history of the island.

Maria Island Magic We had an amazing day aboard. The weather meant that the seals were ready to frolick near the boat so we got a fantastic view. I was so impressed with the respect Michael and the crew had for the wildlife. The knowledge that the crew had about the island, the history and the geography were exemplary. The crew were so attentive to everyone’s needs. Can’t recommend this company enough.

NSW Couple We had just an absolutely fantastic day. A day we will always remember. Mike and crew showed their passion and enthusiasm for this lovely part of the world.. They all went that extra 10% to make it special for everyone. Well done Team.

Highlight of Tassie Michael, Millie and Rachael are true professionals, who will go to great lengths to ensure every little thing is perfect (except the weather, which they handled professionally and with a smile). This tour seems costly, but a lot goes in to it, and we felt very privileged to be able to see the beautiful island from the perspective that only a boat can give; so it is absolutely worth it. Spectacular and untouched coastal scenery, but you still get to see the convict ruins with an informative commentary when stopping off at Darlington for a couple of hours. Wombats a plenty, as were the seals on the rocks and playing in the water; a pure delight. Just book it and go; you won’t regret it.

Wonderful, Attentive Staff and a WONDERFUL day on the water and with wild life. My husband and I had a great time on our day cruise! The owner and our captain for the day was social, friendly, and shared plenty of history and stories on the ride. The whole crew for the day was attentive to the needs of the passengers and went the extra mile to learn everyone's name and have chats with the passengers. This little touch meant a lot! We would highly recommend this cruise to others.

Great day out to see wambats and the island from a different perspective My wife and I enjoyed a fabulous day out to Maria island - something we had been looking forward to for several months, particularly to see the wombats in the wild. It did not disappoint. The skipper and crew were great fun and knowledgeable; we certainly felt that we got so much more than if we had simply visited on land via the ferry. We started the trip from Triabunna rather than Hobart and the cafe was excellent. Thank you for a great and unforgettable day out.

We had an excellent one day cruise to Maria Island and Ile des Phoques with Mike Davis from East Coast Cruises. On a beautiful calm day we saw dolphins jumping by the boat, saw the inside of some beautiful sea caves, with impressive seamanship from Mike, and lots of seals on land and in the water. On Maria Island there was a lot of wildlife wandering about as well as an interesting historical site. The guides looked after us really well on the boat, the food was delicious, and we appreciated the range of provision of complimentary drinks. Would thoroughly recommend this for a special day out.

A wonderful organised day out cruising Marie island We thoroughly enjoyed our day. It was well organised from pick up to drop off at our hotel. Both Milly and Steve had excellent local knowledge that they shared with enthusiasm. Our morning tea and lunch was delicious. The weather was perfect for us to be able to cruise around the coast of the island.
Great tour of the settlement,
We would highly recommend this tour!

Awesome Service and abundance of Wildlife It was an amazing Boat Trip to Maria Island - an absolute beauty for nature and wildlife lovers! The service of the very friendly and approachable crew was outstanding and they made the trip very enjoyable despite some wild weather conditions. The hospitality and the knowledge about Maria Island are second to none and should you ever by in Transmania, this unique experience is highly recommended!!

Amazing nature and interesting history with great hospitality We had an excellent one day cruise to Maria Island and Ile des Phoques with Mike Davis from East Coast Cruises. On a beautiful calm day we saw dolphins jumping by the boat, saw the inside of some beautiful sea caves, with impressive seamanship from Mike, and lots of seals on land and in the water. On Maria Island there was a lot of wildlife wandering about as well as an interesting historical site. The guides looked after us really well on the boat, the food was delicious, and we appreciated the range of provision of complimentary drinks. Would thoroughly recommend this for a special day out.

Thanks Michael and Rachel for such a great day. Saw so much of Maria Island that you wouldn’t see from land alone. We are thrifty with our hard earned cash and thought it was worth ever cent

Put this on you must do list Had an awesome day circumnavigating Maia Island & then hanging out with the wombats on Maria Island. The staff are excellent at making sure everyone has a great day. We were lucky on our cruise & spent time watching the whales & we were able to go inside a sea cave. We chose to do the shuttle bus from Hobart which was very convenient. Would highly recommend East Coast Cruise to Maria Island

Great Day Out Although the weather did cut up a bit rough unexpectedly, the absolute professionalism of skipper Mike and crew Tamsin was second to none ensuring the comfort of their guests. We may have not got to see all in the brochure but we will be back to support these guys in their passion for Maria Island, the fantastic wildlife and the East Coast of Tassie. Well done guys. Dave and Caroline, Tassie locals.

Four of us went on the Island of Seals and Maria Island cruise today. We all had a fabulous day with Michael and Rachel. The weather was kind to us and we spent a marvelous time gradually getting nearer to the many seals on the rocks and in the ocean. Our time on the northern end of Maria Island included entering caves with differing layers of colors in the rocks, watching seals frolic around us, seeing the fossil limestone area.
It was followed by an excellent guided walk around historic Darlington with Rachel. The day finished with a view of the painted rocks.

The food was also fresh and appropriate for this type of tour and the experience and expertise of Michael & Rachel made for an altogether memorable day.

The best value tour ever. I'll be back! It is not often that I can honestly say that an outing/ trip exceeded our expectations. Stand out trip, both my husband and were in total awe of EVRYTHING, the boat trip, seals, birdlife (even saw a pair of sea eagles fishing and flying back to their nest). Cape Barren Geese, wombats plus plus plus.
Great operator! Best staff - comfortable boat - fantastic lunch and morning tea. Very interesting information thanks to the fabulous staff - just the best day ever! We learnt so much, cannot recommend this trip more - we will make a point of returning and doing the trip every time we travel to beautiful Tasmania. Just writing this review makes me smile - the sheer joy I experienced does not seem to fade. Well worth every cent.
So much to learn - we can't wait to revist next year!