Whale Watch Kaikoura

Whale Watch is located in the town of Kaikoura. Kaikoura is a special place of lush pastures and towering, snow covered peaks that fall to the sea. This rare magic continues just offshore where a deep undersea canyon combines with unusual sea currents to attract an extraordinary abundance of marine life the most famous being the Sperm Whale.

Lying hidden just offshore, the 2km deep Kaikoura Canyon is one of the world’s great undersea wonders. Two strong sea currents converge in this enormous trench and draw vast quantities of plant and animal nutrients to the surface. This is the catalyst for a population explosion of small fish and crustaceans that in turn attract an astounding food chain of larger marine life.

Another resident of Kaikoura Canyon is the giant squid. These true monsters of the deep can grow to over 20 metres. Using the largest eye of any animal and a long set of grasping tentacles, the Giant Squid hunts sharks, other squid and fish in the pitch-black depths of the Kaikoura Canyon. The main predator of the Giant Squid is the Sperm Whale. Many of Kaikoura’s Sperm Whales display dinner-plate sized tentacle scars from encounters with this giant of the deep.

While in Kaikoura take the opportunity to discover more of the local area through one of the many coastal or mountain walks.  Walking Kaikoura’s scenic coastline will expose you to crystal clear rock pools and wild empty beaches, one of the world’s cleanest ocean environment. The Kaikoura Peninsula has clearly marked cliff-top and coastal walking tracks guiding you from lush open farmland to inter-tidal limestone shore platforms. Breathtaking views await those walking the mountain trails of the hinterland as Kaikoura is the only place in New Zealand where such high ranges so abruptly meet the sea. The return walk to Mt Fyffe takes a day but is easily achieved by those of even moderate fitness.

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