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Kaikoura – Whale Watch Cruise

  • Duration: 3 hours 15 mins
  • Location: Kaikoura
  • Type: Tours

From $175

per person

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Overview

Kaikōura is the whale watching capital of New Zealand, every Whale Watch tour is a unique experience and the sightings vary. Giant sperm whales are the stars of the show and year-round residents. A typical Whale Watch tour may encounter New Zealand fur seals, pods of dusky dolphins and the endangered wandering albatross.

 

Highlights

  • Depending on the season you may also see migrating humpback whales, pilot whales, blue whales and southern right whales. Kaikōura often hosts the orca – and is home to the world’s smallest and rarest – the Hector’s. Kaikōura also attracts the largest concentration and variety of seabirds on mainland New Zealand including 13 species of albatross, 14 varieties of petrels and 7 types of shearwater.
  • The main passenger cabin is enclosed and large outside decks offer great viewing and photo opportunities. Spacious air-conditioned interiors are fitted with comfortable seating while large plasma screens display our award-winning marine wildlife animations. Passenger numbers for each tour are kept well below our vessel carrying capacity to ensure your tour experience remains a personal one.
  • Whale Watch is New Zealand’s only vessel-based whale watching company offering an exciting up-close encounter with the world’s largest toothed predator the Giant Sperm Whale in their natural environment at all times of the year, our 95% success rate means we guarantee an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale. For the avoidance of doubt, a whale, as defined by the Marine Mammals Protection Regulations 1992, means all species commonly known as whales; and includes baleen whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, killer whales and pilot whales.
  • The main focus of your tour is to locate and view the Giant Sperm whale. We average between 1 to 2 whale sightings per tour due to the length of time the whales can stay submerged. The whales form loose pods, keeping several miles between each other, so viewing any more than 1 to 2 whales per trip is a real bonus. Around 80% of the world’s whale and dolphin species migrate past our coastline so at any given time there is the opportunity for other species of marine mammals to be sighted such as Blue, Fin, Sei, Humpback, Minke, Pilot, Orca and Southern Right Whales, Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Southern Right Whale Dolphins, Elephant Seals and Leopard Seals.
  • Depending on the amount of time available after viewing the Sperm whales, the captain of the vessel may decide to move in along the coastline and see what other types of marine life can be encountered. This could include Dusky and Hector Dolphins and the New Zealand Fur Seal. Kaikōura is also home to around 75% of the world’s pelagic sea bird species which include Wandering and Royal Albatross, Mollymawk Albatross, Petrels, Shearwaters, Prions, Fulmars, Gannets, Terns and Herons.
  • Throughout your tour there is an onboard visual presentation, “World of the Whales” – an experience that takes passengers “virtually” to the bottom of the Kaikōura undersea canyon. The presentation also provides information for a variety of marine life found in Kaikōura waters.
  • Designed specially for whale watching, our modern catamarans are equipped with engines that minimise underwater noise and toilets that never pollute the sea. The main passenger cabin is enclosed and large outside decks offer great viewing and photo opportunities. Passenger numbers for each tour are kept well below our vessel carrying capacity to ensure your tour experience remains a personal one.

 

Inclusions

  • Transport from Hanmer Springs on our Koning Aap coach departing approximately 8am
  • Whale watch cruise departing 11.15am in Ocean Cabin. Time spent on the water is just over 2 hours. Including check-in time, safety briefing and bus transfers you should allow 3 hours 15 minutes in total.
  • Onboard visual presentation

Activity Date

Day 16 – 25 November 

Additional Information:

We have a 95% success rate with viewing sperm whales so we guarantee an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale.

Cancellation Policy – no refund inside 48 hours

From $175

per person

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