Whale Watch Kaikoura
4.4 679 reviews
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Cymen Crick
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Use promo code RANKERS for 10% off
Use promo code RANKERS for 10% off
Whales send out big time ocean kaumatua (elder) vibes. When I see them, things feel good in the world.
Kaikoura is the spot to see them. So if you’re into whales then here’s the rundown;
Go for the early sailing if you can (7.45am in summer) for the calmest sea conditions.
If you’re travelling in peak season, book early, like weeks ahead. Ideally use the online check in to avoid queues.
The South Pacific ocean often carries a chilly breeze, so bring warm gears.
Sea Sickness pills are handy. They say you need to take them beforehand, but I’ve taken them when feeling ultra sick on a boat and felt better within minutes. So if you’re unsure, you can take them and use them on the fly. - Let me know how this goes for you, I'd like the feedback.
If you’re on the boat early, I’d head for the front for the best views.
Whale watching in the cooler seasons can be awesome too. There's more whale species cruising around. In the peak season, it's mainly about the Sperm Whales.
Promo code RANKERS is a simple and straight 10% off. No strings attached or booking credits like other ones you may see.
Chur to the whales.
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Whale Watch Kaikoura
Whale Watch is a multiple national and international award winning New Zealand nature-based Tourism Company owned and operated by the indigenous Ngāti Kuri people of Kaikōura, a Māori sub-tribe of the South Island's larger Ngāi Tahu Tribe.
Whale Watch was formed in 1987 at a time when Māori were casualties of Kaikōura’s declining economy. At this time of difficulty, Ngāti Kuri leaders like (The late) Bill Solomon believed the local Sperm Whales held the answer to the unemployment problems of the Māori community. They knew their ancestor Paikea had journeyed to a new life in New Zealand on the back of the whale Tohorā. It seemed appropriate for Paikea's descendants to again ride on the back of the whale to a new life and prosperity.
And so it proved to be.
The Ngāti Kuri founders of Whale Watch mortgaged their houses to secure a loan to start the business. In the early days passengers travelled aboard a 6.7 metre inflatable vessel carrying 8 passengers at a time. In the first year of operation 3,000 passengers were carried. In time, the inflatable was replaced by a larger vessel with an upper viewing deck until today the Whale Watch fleet numbers four modern catamarans specially designed for whale watching, each holding 48 passengers. Now up to 100,000 passengers can be carried each year. The expansion of the Whale Watch fleet required the building of an entire marina in South Bay. It is from here that all whale watching tours now depart.
Due to the phenomenal success of Whale Watch, Kaikōura is now one of New Zealand's leading eco-tourism destinations offering a diverse range of exciting activities and experiences. The company has stimulated investment in new accommodation, restaurants and an impressive array of cafes and galleries filled with the work of local artists.
Paikea and Tohorā still form the symbolic centre of Whale Watch. They represent the spiritual bond between the human world and the natural world and speak of the possibilities that reveal themselves when the world of nature is revered rather than exploited.
Details
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Organisation |
Whale Watch KaikouraCommercial organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷ Kaikoura |
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Operating Season And Hours |
Daily salings from 7.15am to 12.45pm |
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Promo Code 10% Off |
Use discount code RANKERS with Whale Watch Kaikoura and 10% off. |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
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Boat Cruises
Whale Watching
Google Maps
Reviews
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Just perfect.
Petra -
Well organised.
Kiefer Osterrieder -
Pretty expensive but the only way to see whales!
Kathrin -
Excellent trip.
Sue Stewart -
Very professional setup, safety paramount.
paulmiles
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We went out in a day where the sea was very choppy but we were advised of this as we checked in.
The English guy providing the commentary was excellent; very knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. We saw what we expected to see and in quantity. I’ll admit to being seasick on the way back for the first time in my life along with half the boat…… but they did warn us!
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We were on a quick catamaran that had us at the area for watching whales very quickly.
We first watched a sperm whale for a few minutes and then the staff were able to tell us the exact second the whale would dive so we all could snap some great tail photos. Next we moved location and saw a humpback whale as well. The onboard commentary was excellent and informative too. It was a great experience!
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Very professional.
Recommend the VIP upgrade if you can. You get a private minibus. First on first off and a seat in the captains cabin. It really did feel like VIP treatment. Only a few seats. We saw a whale give a great big flip. The commentary was really good and the company is hot on conservation.
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Today was a warm, sunny day with virtually no wind.
Nonetheless less the 13:30 tour was canceled due to "rough seas". I had read another review by someone complaining that their boat ride was canceled for the same reason on a seemly nice day and they had a hard time believing that the "rough seas" excuse was true.
The email/txt from whale watch kaikoura asked us to call or come to their office to get our refund. And why? Given they had canceled the tour it seems to me that the refund should have been immediately and automatically refunded to my credit card.
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Whale watch Kaikōura were professional from start to finish.
I felt safe and informed. The staff were great. Shout out to Jack for being so passionate & informative
We saw a sperm whale and then circled back to see him again.
We also saw a huge pod of dolphins, fur seals and 2 albatross
It was magical to see the whale and I got 2 videos of tail flips.
One of the best experiences of my life. What a beautiful setting & a great team.
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Amazing morning could not have been better!
Friendly informative staff saw sperm whales, 2 blue whales(staff very excited about that) fur seals, dolphins, albatross and petrol. Thank you. Jean
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Over the years we have done several commercial boat trips and are boaties ourselves.
Have also done a whale watch trip in Australia which was good but have never done as good and professional a trip as this before. The crew are all very professional and have a fun, passion and enthusiasm you don’t normally see in a tourist activity. We saw a sperm whale, a Right Whale, hectors dolphins, decal types of albatross/Molly mask and giant petrel plus Huttons Shearwater. Thanks to the organisation and especially Jamie, Josh and Jagen (don’t know the spelling sorry but an amazing and passionate speaker) and the Captain whose name I don’t recall. It was a great trip.
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Very enjoyable trip.
disappointed that the whales were too far offshore to see many but grateful the team were able to locate a single sperm whale that they knew was nearby tot he shore. God trip very professional
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Despite the sea sickness, it was an amazing experience to see the Albatross, seal and the sperm whale for 10 minutes.
Great, fun and informative guide and staff.
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Unfortunately we did not see any whales on our trip - however we did see dusky dolphins, seals and albatross.
The boat was nice and the crew was great. Would recommend.
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Very professional setup, safety paramount.
Short coach trip to south harbour then 2+ hours at sea. Very knowledgeable staff. We were probably very lucky in that we saw a whale almost straight away, followed by a pod of 200 or more dusky dolphins who performed fantastic acrobatics for at least 30 mins. Also saw petrels, albatross and a couple of sharks. Not a cheap trip but how often can you see whales? And the dolphns were magical.
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We went out in a day where the sea was very choppy but we were advised of this as we checked in.
The English guy providing the commentary was excellent; very knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. We saw what we expected to see and in quantity. I’ll admit to being seasick on the way back for the first time in my life along with half the boat…… but they did warn us!
-
We were on a quick catamaran that had us at the area for watching whales very quickly.
We first watched a sperm whale for a few minutes and then the staff were able to tell us the exact second the whale would dive so we all could snap some great tail photos. Next we moved location and saw a humpback whale as well. The onboard commentary was excellent and informative too. It was a great experience!
-
Today was a warm, sunny day with virtually no wind.
Nonetheless less the 13:30 tour was canceled due to "rough seas". I had read another review by someone complaining that their boat ride was canceled for the same reason on a seemly nice day and they had a hard time believing that the "rough seas" excuse was true.
The email/txt from whale watch kaikoura asked us to call or come to their office to get our refund. And why? Given they had canceled the tour it seems to me that the refund should have been immediately and automatically refunded to my credit card.
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Very professional.
Recommend the VIP upgrade if you can. You get a private minibus. First on first off and a seat in the captains cabin. It really did feel like VIP treatment. Only a few seats. We saw a whale give a great big flip. The commentary was really good and the company is hot on conservation.
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Whale watch Kaikōura were professional from start to finish.
I felt safe and informed. The staff were great. Shout out to Jack for being so passionate & informative
We saw a sperm whale and then circled back to see him again.
We also saw a huge pod of dolphins, fur seals and 2 albatross
It was magical to see the whale and I got 2 videos of tail flips.
One of the best experiences of my life. What a beautiful setting & a great team.
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Amazing morning could not have been better!
Friendly informative staff saw sperm whales, 2 blue whales(staff very excited about that) fur seals, dolphins, albatross and petrol. Thank you. Jean
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Over the years we have done several commercial boat trips and are boaties ourselves.
Have also done a whale watch trip in Australia which was good but have never done as good and professional a trip as this before. The crew are all very professional and have a fun, passion and enthusiasm you don’t normally see in a tourist activity. We saw a sperm whale, a Right Whale, hectors dolphins, decal types of albatross/Molly mask and giant petrel plus Huttons Shearwater. Thanks to the organisation and especially Jamie, Josh and Jagen (don’t know the spelling sorry but an amazing and passionate speaker) and the Captain whose name I don’t recall. It was a great trip.
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Very enjoyable trip.
disappointed that the whales were too far offshore to see many but grateful the team were able to locate a single sperm whale that they knew was nearby tot he shore. God trip very professional
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Would not recommend.
Not worth either the time or the money. The whales are nice, but you spend soo much time in order to get to them, and then they are there for 2 minutes, after which you spend a lot of time looking for the next one. Too commercialized also, with three boats basically hunting the whales around, after planes or helicopters had spotted them. The crew created a massive hype, which really did not materialize. One of the engines of the boat broke down on the way back, which also extended our trip by around 40 minutes. Did see seals and a few albatros, which were nice, but those can easily be spotted from the shore elsewhere.
The boat and the crew were nice, but it was just such a waste of time and money anyways. Also I do not see why everyone has to gather in the city, in order to take a bus to the jetty, when most people have a car anyways. Probably just so that people will buy stuff from their souvenir shop.
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Unfortunately we did not see any whales on our trip - however we did see dusky dolphins, seals and albatross.
The boat was nice and the crew was great. Would recommend.
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Despite the sea sickness, it was an amazing experience to see the Albatross, seal and the sperm whale for 10 minutes.
Great, fun and informative guide and staff.
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Very cool experience.
Two bucket list items ticked off. Got to see sperm whales which is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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We thoroughly enjoyed this activity - amazing experience, very knowledgeable crew and we saw 2 whales!!
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Very professional service and a beautiful trip.
We saw 2 Sperm whales and many, many dolphins.
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Was not planning to do this but i am glad i did.
Amazing whale watch and orca,s as a bonus.