Today, we booked an adventure with "Kaikoura Whale Watch". The Maori-owned cruise company offered an up-close and personal encounter with whales. Although almost all the world’s species of whales have been sighted in Kaikoura, the Giant Sperm Whale was commonly seen all year round. Whales were not the only marine life observed during the Kaikoura Whale Watch tour. Fur seals, dolphins and albatross could be also found just off the coast, but the giants of the sea remained the stars of the show.
We were super excited but also very nervous whether we would see the world’s largest toothed whale. The weather was sunny with only a few white clouds dotting the blue sky - perfect conditions to spot the massive creatures. We checked in around midday at the "Kaikoura Whale Watch" office near the railway station.
With a calm and smooth sea, the captain gave the tour the green light. After a short introduction and a safety video, the shuttle bus dropped us at the South Bay Marine where one of their 4 modern catamarans was waiting for us. We embarked the blue high-tech boat specifically designed and built for whales watching. The vessel had engines which minimised the underwater noises, comfortable leather seats, huge windows, large TV screens and non-polluting toilets.
The Tour: Kaikoura Whale Watch
We headed out of South Bay toward the open ocean for almost 3 hours. The crew took us from one whale watching hot-spot to another one. Between the stops, we learned a great deal about the Giant Sperm Whale watching a number of marine wildlife documentaries. The 18-metre long giant could dive up to 3 kilometres for up to 2 hours to feed on octopuses, colossal squids, and a variety of other fishes.
After 20 minutes, just offshore from the town of Kaikoura, the captain and the whale spotter stopped where a Giant Sperm Whale was last seen. Plugging a sound wave detector in the water, they tried to locate where whales could be lurking. Within minutes, we saw at a distance our first male whale. We didn't check the sex but whales at Kaikoura were almost exclusively males. The water was too cold for the females which preferred the tropical waters.
Each time we spotted a squid-lover, the captain would speed off to get closer before they disappear again in the deep undersea Kaikoura Canyon for another feeding session. The whale surfaced for a very short period. So the timing was important. The whales were surfacing every 40 minutes for about 10 to 15 minute to rest and re-oxygenated. When they did, they sprayed water high into the air. That how the well-trained crew could spot the animals on the horizon.
We were lucky enough to have four encounters with the majestic mammals. Two sights were the same animal that we could recognise from the dorsal fin. Each encounter made a really moving experience. Being only a few metres from Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick creature was an amazing sight and photographic opportunity of a lifetime. We admired the majestic animals resting and blowing at the surface before it slowly lifts its gorgeous tail into the air to disappears back into the dark water.
Whale Watch Kaikoura was very professional when it comes to tracking and giving us the best chance to observe these fascinating creatures in their natural environment. So we highly recommend booking a tour with them.