Kaikoura, New Zealand 
- 2 hours and 20 minutes whale watching tour
- Guaranteed whale sighting
- 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale
- Possible dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seal sightings
- Onboard 'World of the Whales' visual presentation
What's Included
Why do we love this
These guys have a 95% success rate when it comes to whale sightings, and we love that they offer an 80% refund if your tour doesn't see a whale. That's confidence!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Welcome to Kaikoura! This is a special part of New Zealand, full of beautiful scenery and some truly amazing experiences. Here, tectonic plates collide and ocean currents converge, luring an abundance of marine wildlife to the area. The most famous of these species is the Giant Sperm Whale. This tour gives you the chance to get up close to these majestic beasts, and with a 95% success rate, you're almost guaranteed to spot one!
Kaikoura is also an area rich in Maori traditions and whaling history, and this tour is a great way to learn about and experience this.
Itinerary
First, check-in and complete a safety briefing to prepare you for the trip! Your Whale Watch Coach will then take you to the South Bay Harbour where your tour vessel departs from. The trip to South Bay takes approximately 8-10 minutes. There, you'll be met by a Whale Watch Sea Crew Staff member and boarded onto your vessel.
On your tour, the main focus is to locate and watch the Giant Sperm whale. Usually, tours average between 1 to 2 whale sightings per trip. In Kaikoura, the Sperm whale’s dive time ranges between 40-60 minutes, so you might have to watch for a while to see one emerge!
The Sperm whales primarily viewed off the Kaikoura coastline are all males, and they form loose pods, keeping several miles between each other. Because of this, viewing any more than 1 to 2 whales per trip is a real bonus. You might get lucky!
There's also the opportunity for other marine animal sightings, as this area is so rich in wildlife. You might see Blue, Fin, Sei, Humpback, Minke, Pilot, Orca and Southern Right Whales, various types of dolphins, Elephant Seals and Leopard Seals. If you have enough time available after spotting the Sperm whales, your skipper may decide to move in along the coastline and see what other types of marine life can be discovered.
Throughout your tour, you'll also have the chance to watch an onboard visual presentation, 'World of the Whales'. This visual experience takes passengers “virtually” to the bottom of the Kaikoura undersea canyon. The presentation also provides information on a variety of marine life found in Kaikoura waters. Please note the presentations are in English and there are no captions available.
You'll spend approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes on the water on this tour. Allow 3.5 hours for the full trip including check-in and safety briefing.
Whale Watch operate tours every day (weather permitting) excluding Christmas Day. Tour check-in times all year are 7.15am, 10.00am, 12.45pm.
An extra tour is scheduled at 3.30pm from November to March.
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