Just imagine coming eye to eye with a 15metre sperm whale its an experience you wont forget. While kaikoura in the south island is new zealands whale watching capital, you can go whale watching all. Whale watch kaikoura new zealand tourist attraction. Despite mostly consisting of sand and cacti, the baja california is one of the best locations for whale watching in the whole world. Dolphin encounters enable you to swim with dophins in kaikoura and a wonderful activity. Whales are a very common sight in the waters off kaikoura because of a 2kilometre underwater canyon that sits beside the coast.
Known as the whale capital, kaikoura is a worldfamous whale watching site, in particular for sperm whales which is currently the most abundant of large whales in new zealand waters. Officials said it was one of the countrys largest whale strandings. Feb 14, 2015 more than 170 pilot whales stranded on the new zealand coast. Whale watch kaikoura south island nz wildlife tours nz. The best places to go whale watching in new zealand. New zealand is renowned as one of the worlds best whale watching destinations, and this unique wildlife encounter should be on every visitors itinerary.
A dead pilot whale lay on a beach at farewell spit in new zealand on saturday as volunteers tried to help the stranded whales that still had a chance of surviving. Kiakoura on the east coast of the south island is also a great whale watching region. Not only is it the main place to see whales in the whole country, it is also one of the most popular spots in the world where you can easily have access to sperm whales. Rescuers in new zealand hope to have saved 60 pilot whales after about 140 died when they became stranded on a sandy spit. New zealand stranded whale rescuers who formed a human chain to save more than 200 face a race against time to refloat hundreds more. The resident population of sperm whales at kaikoura can be seen all year round. Kaikoura is known as new zealands whalewatching mecca. This is also a great place to base yourself if youre making the trip to the bay of islands north, the rangitoto islands just off the coast of auckland, or.
The island is 15 x 5 km wide and elongated in an eastwest direction. Then, if the dolphins dont have any calves with them, youre allowed to get in the water. There are some of the best beaches in new zealand here and it is definitely worth heading to farewell spit, the northernmost point of the south island, to get some great views of the tasman sea. The louder the click the closer to the whale we are, so if the captain is hearing the echolocation of the sperm whale and its quite faint we may need to make a move of 1 mile or more and hopefully on the next listen that click should be a whole lot louder indicating that we are a lot closer to that individual.
Christchurch canterbury, whale watching in new zealand. We were part of the whale watch tour in kaikoura a must do if you are in that lovely part of the south island and it is well worth the money. In addition to the sperm whale, a number of different species of whale have been sighted off our coastline, including blues, humpbacks, rights and orca. The initial stranding, discovered earlier in the week, had left more than 400 pilot whales on farewell spit, a skinny beach that arcs for miles from new zealand s south island into the sea. Heres your chance to get up close to the majestic giants of the sea. Pay a visit to kaikoura, a place best known for whale watching and water activities such.
They also have sightings of orca, humpback and other whales very infrequently. Unlike many other whale watching sites which are seasonal, youre guaranteed to see giant sperm whales no matter what time of the year you arrive. This little seaside town on the east coast of new zealands south island is approximately 150km north of christchurch and is considered to be one of the worlds great whale watching locations. If you make it all the way south to chile, you have pretty good chances to meet the mighty blue whales around the. Watch kaikouras magnificent resident sperm whales as well as other species of whale put on a. Kaikoura is a special place of lush pastures and towering, snow covered peaks that fall to the sea. The hauraki gulf marine park just outside auckland city is also a significant whale. Feb 09, 2017 new zealand has one of the highest rates of whale strandings in the world, and fridays event is the nations thirdbiggest recorded stranding. While the north island stays milder, the south island will get icy cold during autumn and winter. Local authorities say they were unable to save the 39 pilot whales that were stranded on new zealand south island s. The initial stranding, discovered earlier in the week, had left more than 400 pilot whales on farewell spit, a skinny beach that arcs for miles from new zealands south island into the sea. The harpooning of this unfortunate whale ended more than 170 years of whaling in new zealand.
New zealand stranded whale rescuers who formed a human. Kaikoura is a marine lovers paradise, with marine mammals encounter available all year round giant sperm whales are the stars of the show and yearround residents. Local authorities say they were unable to save the 39 pilot whales that were stranded on new zealand south islands. The last whale to be harpooned in new zealand waters was killed on 21 december 1964, off kaikoura, for the perano operation. Off the coast of kaikoura lives a stable population of sperm whales. As you can see every month is good to seeing something, but the winter months mayjuly probably give the greatest range, including the occasional orca whale. Whale watch is new zealands only marinebased whale watching company offering visitors an exciting upclose encounter with the giant sperm whale at all times of the year. Baleen whales migrate through new zealand waters on their way south to feed on krill, which are abundant in the southern ocean. Whale watching whats hot new zealand destination nz.
Journey through the north island of new zealand and explore waitomo, rotorua and lake taupo, and discover the natural beauty of kaikoura and christchurch on this 5day trip from auckland to christchurch or vice versa. Whale watching tourism in new zealand generally focuses on sperm and brydes whales, bottlenose, common, dusky. Whale island tours whakatane 2020 all you need to know. The right whale was once very common around new zealand but is now largely confined to the auckland and campbell islands. Volunteers trying to keep alive some of the pilot whales beached at the northern tip of new zealands south island on friday. As new zealand has snow covered caps even in the summer, there will be more snow in the winter. The most important regions on the northern island are hauraki gulf in auckland, bay of islands in the north and bay of plenty in the east where a lot of different. May 22, 2010 the last whale to be harpooned in new zealand waters was killed on 21 december 1964, off kaikoura, for the perano operation.
Feb 12, 2017 new zealand stranded whale rescuers who formed a human chain to save more than 200 face a race against time to refloat hundreds more. Exploring new zealand is like no other experience, with towering mountain ranges, magnificent lush landscapes and striking coastlines making it a spectacular superyacht destination. Feb 10, 2017 volunteers trying to keep alive some of the pilot whales beached at the northern tip of new zealands south island on friday. Grisly cleanup follows deaths of 400 whales in new zealand. Whale motuhora island forms the summit of a largely submerged pleistocene daciticandesitic complex volcano that lies 11 km offshore from whakatane in the bay of plenty. As a result, southern rights simply vanished from the mainland coast, and sightings are now rare. As well as sighting whales, a typical trip will cruise by colonies of new zealand fur seals and perhaps take in groups of dolphins, depending on the season.
North island whale watching activities new zealand. Also shown are the migration routes of the humpback whale. Kaikoura, on the east coast of the south island, is one of the only places in the world where you can easily see sperm whales. It was a major economic activity for europeans in new zealand in the first four decades of the 19th century. Dictionary of new zealand biography, te ara encyclopedia of new zealand. The 354mhigh central dome complex is flanked by east. Experience the natural treasures of new zealand on a kaikoura whale watching cruise. How we operate whale watch tours new zealand tourist. Whale watch kaikoura is one of the most popular tourist attractions in new zealand.
Whale watching in new zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of kaikoura and the hauraki gulf. This is still an area of volcanic activity and there are hot springs on. Nineteenthcentury whaling was based on hunting the southern right whale. New zealand kaikoura whale watching experience kkday. This has made it a paradise for the sea creatures, resulting in one third of the worlds marine species having visited the hauraki gulf marine park. Kaikoura is on the east coast of south island, new zealand. Kaikoura is one of the very few yearround feeding areas for whales in the world. For example, any hectors dolphin photos from the north and northeastern coast of the south island tasman bay, golden bay, marlborough anywhere from farewell spit to kaikoura would be really helpful for our research and for the conservation of these dolphins. New zealand has one of the highest rates of whale strandings in the world, and fridays event is the nations thirdbiggest recorded stranding. Furthermore, almost daily you can see quite a few dolphin species. Whale populations in new zealand waters were among the most intensively exploited in the worldthe take peaked at 2288 whales in 1839, involving some 150 ships and 80 shore stations. Sep 09, 2016 new zealand photographer sam kynmancole captured drone footage of a playful orca whale interacting with a kayaker in army bay, new zealand. More than 400 whales beach themselves in new zealand cbs news. The hauraki gulf marine park is the wonderland for marine life with more than 1.
Sperm whales, the largest of the toothed whales, grow to over 15 metres in length. About whale island tours guided walking tours of whale moutohora island sanctuary, a pristine wildlife reserve 9kms from whakatane. Experience the magic of kaikoura whale watching with one of our tours. Backpacking new zealand on any budget 2020 travel guide. This whale watch cruise is located in the town of kaikoura a scenic two and a halfhour drive north from christchurch in new zealands south island. Basically, you get on a boat, sail around a bit until you find dolphins, and hope theyre attracted to your bow wave. Whale watch cruise, kaikoura, south island, new zealand. Jun 08, 2012 this little seaside town on the east coast of new zealands south island is approximately 150km north of christchurch and is considered to be one of the worlds great whale watching locations. Print this humpback whale new zealand animal poster out and display it in your classroom when studying new zealand animals.
This means you have a much higher chance of seeing them in kaikoura. For centuries, scientists have stated animals are more in tune with the earth than we are, leading many to believe that the massbeaching of. Youre spoilt for choice when it comes to dolphin tourism operators in new zealand. Experience the natural treasures of new zealand on a kaikoura whalewatching cruise. Te wiki o te reo maori 9th 15th september 2019, 40 1 2019. Best months to view dolphins and whales relaxing journeys. More than 400 whales beach themselves in new zealand cbs.
Not all whale watching hot spots are located in the south island of aotearoa. Some wellknown species of baleen whales include the blue whale and the humpback whale. Look for impressive sperm whales along with migrating humpbacks and southern right whales, and search the waters for orcas and other dolphins as an experienced guide shares informative commentary. The landscape is different from the rest of the island and is more tropical. On a new zealand whale watching tour in kaikoura, you can choose a tour to view these magnificent creatures from the water, on a specially designed catamaran, or from the air in a four or eight seat aeroplane. Apr 22, 2020 near empty of people by comparison and it only gets emptier the further south you go south island brings new zealands best. The tour includes boat trip to the island, circumnavigation, walking on island to saddle lookout. Feb, 2017 authorities in new zealand are planning to cut holes in 300 whale carcasses today to avoid them exploding as they decompose on golden bay after more than 600 whales became stranded. Whether youre looking for an activity that gets your pulse racing, or something a little more little more relaxed, whale watching off the coast of new zealand is an unmissable and. Of the worlds species of baleen whales, eight are known in new zealand, but only two, the southern right whale and brydes whale, breed in new zealand waters. On a typical whale watch tour you may also encounter new zealand fur seals, pods of dusky. Dramatic prehistoric scenery, endless oceans of sheep and cows, and the feeling of being outside of the worlds chaos.
Some wellknown species of toothed whales include sperm whales and orca whales. The whaleplanner february a whale watching infographic. 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. Cruising past the beautiful whale island aboard diveworks. The main flaw in your plan is the flight out of blenheim. They round up their prey by swimming in tight circles and blowing nets of bubbles around them. New zealand stranded whale rescuers who formed a human chain. We are planning a trip to new zealand feb 2017, and wondering if this is a good time to see whales or dolphins. While kaikoura in the south island is new zealands whale. Hundreds of pilot whales escape a mass stranding at new.
White island tours offer tours of moutohora whale island one of new zealands littleknown treasures, departing from whakatane. Commercial whaling in new zealand waters began late in the 18th century and continued until 1965. Golden bay is one of the best spots on the west coast of the south island. The best whale watching spots in new zealand hostelbookers. Moutohora is a small uninhabited island located off the bay of plenty coast of new zealands north island, about 9 kilometres 5.
New zealand has one of the highest rates of whale strandings in the world, and fridays event was the nations thirdbiggest in recorded history. Oct 15, 2015 kaikoura on the east coast of the south island, the bay of islands situated at the northern most peak of the north island, and hauraki gulf in auckland are some the best places to spot whales from humpbacks to orcas, and if youre lucky a fleeting glimpse of the giant blue whale. Whale watch is located in the small coastal town of kaikoura on the east coast of new zealand s south island a scenic two and a halfhour drive north from christchurch and two hour drive south from picton. Whale watch is located in the town of kaikoura a scenic two and a halfhour drive north from christchurch in new zealands south island. It moves from the antarctic up the coasts of new zealand to tropical waters around tonga, and then back down again. Kaiteriteri to kaikoura is over a 6 hr 425klm drive. Feb 11, 2017 new zealand has one of the highest rates of whale strandings in the world, and fridays event was the nations thirdbiggest in recorded history. Whale watching on the south island new zealand forum.
Some parts of the country will be battling icy winds and other parts will have rain and lots of it. Authorities in new zealand are planning to cut holes in 300 whale carcasses today to avoid them exploding as they decompose on golden bay after more than 600 whales became stranded. Kaikoura also attracts the largest concentration and variety of seabirds on mainland new zealand including species of albatross, 14 varieties of petrels and 7 types of shearwater. Whale and dolphin watching kaikoura best time to visit top. Toothed whales feed on fish, squid, other whales and larger marine mammals. If youre a city person, you can definitely find plenty of things to do in auckland restaurants, nightlife, galleries, and nearby beaches galore.
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