Whale watch kaikoura 2020 all you need to know before you. Not only do you get a rare chance to get up close and personal with these majestic mammals, but you also get to choose how and where youd like to see the whales from. Giant sperm whales are the stars of the show and yearround residents. Whale watch kaikoura is dedicated to providing a quality whale watching experience while respecting and carefully managing the use of a rare natural resource. The undersea kaikoura canyon brings abyssal depths and sperm whales close to the coast, and whale watching has. Kaikoura shuttles can move you around kaikoura and further afield, daily 07.
Book your tickets online for whale watch kaikoura, kaikoura. Whale watch scheduled tours operate dailywhale watch is located in the town of kaikoura, two and a halfhours north of christchurch in new zealands south island. They can grow up to 20 metres and weigh over 50 tons. The undersea kaikoura canyon brings abyssal depths and sperm whales close to the coast, and whale watching has been a major tourist attraction since the 1980s. Kaikoura is a small coastal town on the east coast pacific ocean of the south island of new zealand, about 180 km north of christchurch and km south of blenheim. When i was in middle school, my history teacher would take a group of kids on a new england trip that included whale watching. The experience is enriched with stories of the local people, their traditions and their history. Sperm whales off kaikoura support a thriving whale watch industry. We may have been lucky but we had a fantastic experience with whale watch kaikoura and saw 2 sperm whales, a pod of hector dolphins with two babies, albatrosses. Whale watching in kaikoura nz kaikoura whale watching new. A tour of fyffe house really brings home just how raw and harsh life was back in the whaling days. Kaikoura whales fly with garden city helicopters, christchurch to kaikoura for the ultimate whale watching experience ever. Whether its boat, plane or helicopter, weve listed all the options here with.
Arrive at the port, hop into a sailboat, and cruise around kaikoura for an almost guaranteed whale sighting. A kaikoura whale watching cruise and dolphin swim are the highlights of this delightful 2day nature tour, roundtrip from christchurch. Whale watching in kaikoura, new zealand flashpacker family. Whale watch kaikoura south island new zealand highres. Te wiki o te reo maori 9th 15th september 2019, 40 1 2019. Kaikoura is a has lush pastures and towering, snow covered peaks that fall to the sea. We will email you an open dated gift voucher valid for 12 months.
Discover the fascinating world of the whales, dolphins, seals and marine birds that can. The kaikoura peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby hikurangi trench. Kaikoura is the whale watching capital of new zealand, every whale watch tour is a unique experience and the sightings vary. Whaling continued sporadically until as recently as 1964 when the last of nz s whaling. Whaling history painted in its original pink, fyffe house is all that remains of the kaikoura whaling industry. More than 170 years of new zealand whaling history ended when j. Your marine experience includes a visit to a new zealand fur seal colony and suiting up in snorkel gear. Kaikoura peninsula, almost certainly from the late 1840s. Sep 11, 2011 giant sperm whales are the biggest of the toothed whales and the worlds largest predator. Kaikoura war memorial nzhistory, new zealand history online. The station is on whaleway station road presumably named because whale watch kaikoura operate out of the station. From 1962 the rollon, rolloff ferry between wellington and picton brought more freight and passenger traffic, both road and rail. Kaikoura is a leading nature tourist destination, bestknown for its whale watching tours.
The company has played a vital role in rebuilding the. Taking a dive of the shores of kaikoura new zealand steampunk whale, flying machine, imagination. It seems rather fitting therefore, that the whale is still guiding the people of kaikoura today, by creating their livelihoods through whale. Robert fyffe combined whaling and sheep farming at waiopuka, on the. Whale watch kaikoura 2020 all you need to know before. One such creature is the impressive sperm whale, rarely sighted in other locations its down in history as the whale who guided the maori ancestor paikea to make his first steps on new zealand soil. Enjoy stunning scenic views of the coastline and see the mighty sperm whales in their. Ka01 kaikoura whale watching cruise with whale watch. Whale watch in kaikoura, whaleway station rd, kaikoura. The track follows the coast for the last part of the journey into kaikoura and you can often see fur seals lazing on the rocks. Whale stock photos download 28,648 royalty free photos. From your catamaran boat youll get up close to whales, seals, and dolphins in the deep waters off shore, as well as albatross. Whale watch kaikoura marine experience 60 secs 7,872 views 1 year ago kaikoura is the whale watching capital of new zealand, every whale watch tour is a unique experience and the sightings vary.
Whale watch scheduled tours operate daily whale watch is located in the town of kaikoura, two and a halfhours north of christchurch in new zealands south island. On an average summers day, whale watching boats are present for about 40% of the surfacings of the whales found close to shore. Whale watch is new zealands only vesselbased whale watching company offering visitors an exciting upclose encounter with the worlds largest toothed predator the giant sperm whale in their natural environment at all times of the year. Originally unveiled in 1921, the obelisk displayed the names of those who had died in the first world war. Whale watching in kaikoura is the towns most important industry. Whale watching in kaikoura by boat provided by whale watch. Whales are a very common sight in the waters off kaikoura because of a 2kilometre underwater canyon that sits beside the coast. Whale watch kaikoura south island new zealand highres stock. This full day tour includes a scenic tour from christchurch through the rolling hill country of north canterbury to kaikoura. A typical whale watch tour may encounter new zealand fur seals, pods of dusky dolphins and the. There are plenty of ways to get out and explore the great outdoors, from wildlife encounters to hiking, surfing, horse trekking. The whale shark is a large filter feeding hope blue whale skeleton. We checked in for our whale watch here and watched a short safety video before heading off. The tour starts with a 10minute safety briefing in the theatre at the whaleway station yes it is called that the railway tracks run past the building.
Read about kaikouras rich history along with the whale watch kaikoura. Whale watching in new zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of kaikoura and. The image of whales surfacing off the coast of kaikoura is one of new zealands most iconic sights. Kaikoura is known as new zealands whalewatching mecca. Whale watch kaikoura from christchurch, new zealand.
Wwk is an indigenous, 100% maori owned and operated venture in the small coastal town of kaikoura. It is located on state highway 1, 180 km north of christchurch kaikoura became the first local authority in the southern hemisphere to achieve recognition by the earthcheck community standard the town has an estimated permanent resident population of 2,150 as. A kaikoura whalewatching cruise and dolphin swim are the highlights of this delightful 2day nature tour, roundtrip from christchurch. Whale watch kaikoura new zealand tourist attraction. A whale of a time in kaikoura the planet d adventure. The recipient will need to book an exact time and date online using the gift voucher they receive from you. Kaikoura also has a long history of maori settlement join a tour with a local maori guide to learn about the regions cultural history. The arrival of european settlers to these maori lands in the mid 1800s led to the conversion of much of the surrounding area to farm land and the establishment of a shorebased whaling industry. Whale watching in kaikoura nz kaikoura whale watching. We had a perfectly clear day, lovely snowcapped mountain views, 2 sperm whale sightings and a relaxed meander being surrounded by a playful group of playful dusky dolphins. Whale watching in kaikoura is the mustdo activity while in this beautiful, peaceful part of new zealands spectacular south island. New zealands only marine based whale watching company offering an exciting upclose encounter with giant. The whale way station, where whale watch kaikoura is located, is an old converted railway station.
The town has an estimated permanent resident population of 2,210 as of june 2019. The name kaikoura means to eat crayfish kai to eat, koura. Marine mammal spotlight dusky dolphins, 160 3 2019 not only do we have the sperm whale off our coastline all year round but kaikoura is also home to the resident dusky dolphin. Behavioural responses to the presence of whale watching boats include sudden turns and changes in speed, as well as changes in the length of time. Blue whales are the largest creature to have ever lived blue whale. Oz sperm whales are year round residents in waters off kaikoura and the sighting rate is high.
The popularity of the town ensures its well served with accommodation, shops and restaurants. Painted in its original pink, fyffe house is all that remains of the kaikoura whaling industry. Media in category whale watching in kaikoura the following 78 files are in this category, out of 78 total. So of course, we had to make sure we visited kaikoura while we were in. Located beside the sea in the garden of memories, is the kaikoura war memorial. This yearround whale watching destination is also renowned for its scenic location a rugged coastline, between the pacific ocean and the snowcapped peaks of the southern alps, which provides a dramatic background for the marine life that is often seen. He found an abundance of crayfish and named the area te ahi kaikoura a tama ki te rangi the fire that cooked the crayfish of tama ki te rangi. Whale watch was formed in 1987 at a time when maori were casualities of kaikouras declining economy. New zealands only marine based whale watching company offering. Whale watching in kaikoura by boat a must if you are in the area and really worth making an effort if you are not. Whale watching at kaikoura kaikoura forum tripadvisor. A typical whale watch tour may encounter new zealand fur seals, pods of dusky dolphins and the endangered wandering albatross. Te taumanu o te waka a maui, the thwart or seat of mauis canoe.
It is a long journey out to sea and we had our guide tell us a little bit about the history of the company, the whales of the region and about what we could expect on our trip. A whale of a time in kaikoura we had lady luck on our side today and it wasnt long until the captain and crew spotted a sperm whale in the distance. A couple hours north of christchurch, new zealand sits the very small tourist and fishing town of kaikoura. Legend has it that maui used the kaikoura peninsula as a foothold to brace himself when he fished the north island out of the sea. Whale watch is located in the small seaside town of kaikoura, a scenic 2. Head out on a whale watching adventure at nzs premier whale destination kaikoura with one of the countrys best whale watching tour companies. I didnt get to go on that trip but i always wanted to go whale watching. Your marine experience includes a visit to a new zealand fur seal colony and suiting up in snorkel gear to swim alongside the amazing dusky dolphins.
Kaikoura a small seaside town on the east coast of the south island is one of the new zealands leading nature tourism destinations. Kaikoura became the first local authority in the southern hemisphere to achieve recognition by the earthcheck community standard. Kaikoura kaikoura new zealand whale dolphin watching. It is located on state highway 1, 180 km north of christchurch. Learn about the animals and their habitat from live commentary on board. Whale watch is located in the small coastal town of kaikoura on the east coast of new zealands south island a scenic two and a halfhour drive north from christchurch and two hour drive south from picton. Whale watch kaikoura marine experience 60 secs 7,872 views 1 year ago kaikoura is the whale watching capital of new zealand, every whale watch tour is. Tama ki te rangi arrived in the area many hundreds of years ago and was tired and hungry. Majestic snow capped mountains fall into the ocean here, while just offshore the 2km deep underwater kaikoura canyon attracts a huge array of marine and plant life, the most famous of which being the. Kaikoura is a small coastal town located on new zealands south island, roughly 200km north of christchurch. Natural history museum have replaced dippt with hope the blue whale skeleton. Perano and company caught its last whale off the coast near kaikoura.
It is famed for its marine mammals whales, dolphins, seals and other sealife, all of which you can see, some of which you can swim with, and some you can eat. Christchurch canterbury, whale watching in new zealand. Situated in a remarkable natural setting alongside mountains that rise dramatically from the coast, kaikoura is a hugely popular visitor destination. Kaikoura is renowned for its amazing marine life, and youll discover why on this whale watching tour. Book whale watching kaikoura everything new zealand. Our people maori culture and history whale watch kaikoura. Giant sperm whales are the biggest of the toothed whales and the worlds largest predator. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry. Whale watch kaikoura wwk is new zealands only marinebased whalewatching company, operating year round and offering visitors an exciting and upclose encounter with sperm whales. Whale watch is a multiple national and international award winning new zealand naturebased tourism company owned and operated by the indigenous ngati kuri people of kaikoura, a maori subtribe of the south islands larger ngai tahu tribe. The towns oldest surviving building, it has changed little since the 1860s. This yearround whalewatching destination is also renowned for its scenic location a rugged coastline, between the pacific ocean and the snowcapped peaks of the southern alps, which provides a dramatic background for the marine life.
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