Impacts of commercial whale watching on male sperm whales at kaikoura, new zealand article pdf available in marine mammal science 221. Pdf impacts of commercial whale watching on male sperm whales. We were lucky enough to see a pod of orcas and two sperm whales during our flight with aaron and we enjoyed stunning views of the kaikoura ranges and the peninsula too. A 95% success rate means we guarantee an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale. Our results thus indicate that sperm whales off kaikoura respond to whale watching activities, although these. Among them the giant sperm whale which can grow up to 20 metres in length and has the largest brain of any animal. The whales form loose pods, keeping several miles between each other, so viewing any more than 1 to 2 whales per trip is a real bonus. Whale watch kaikoura is the only sea based whale watching tour provider in new zealand operating all twelve months of the year. Sperm whales are named after the spermaceti oil wax that they produce in the spermaceti organ located in their head.
Click rates and silences of sperm whales at kaikoura, new zealand. Kaikoura whale watching best time of the day to go. Kaikoura scenic helicopter flights gch aviation new zealand. Whale watch in kaikoura, whaleway station rd, kaikoura. Whale watching in kaikoura offers a uniquely accessible encounter with marine life in its natural habitat. Steve dawson and liz slooten, both professors at otago university, started the sperm whale research programme in kaikoura in 1990. This whale did numerous breaches and countless tailslaps, an amazing day out at whale watch kaikoura in december 2017. Kaikoura is renowned for its population of giant sperm whale. A sperm whales teeth along its bottom jaw are about 18 to 20 cm long 7. Spot the local sperm whales, or watch as a pod of hundreds of dolphins playful swim along side your boat. I was a bit apprehensive at first as i am not a great traveller on rough seas and was concerned as to what the conditions would be like. Hi sue, giant sperm whales are present in kaikoura all year round due to the abundant food source and whale watch have a 95% success rate in finding whales.
I can definitely recommend the kaikoura whale watch tour. Scientists believe that sperm whales and giant squid are natural enemies. The whale watch kaikoura app offers information on the resident sperm. Whale watching in new zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of kaikoura and the hauraki gulf. The chance to spot a giant sperm whale, theyre the star of the show here. Kaikoura is a popular tourist destination and the best one in new zealand for yearround whale and dolphin watching. Youll find kaikoura on the south island of new zealand. Whale watch track their songs at the bottom of the deep kaikoura trence to find their location, then the boat charges to meet the whales surfacing. Guided seal kayaking half day experience experience the excitement of watching fur seals ducking, weaving and diving around your kayak. Whale watch facilitated the journey beautifully and enabled me to have my own experience of the peacefulness and the. Sperm whale tale, kaikoura, new zealand stock photo. Whale watch kaikoura is one of the most popular tourist attractions in new zealand.
This whaling industry employed local maori fishermen to hunt sperm whales that were found in the deep submarine canyons relatively close to shore. In the afternoon you will board a catamaran with whale watch kaikoura and enjoy an upclose encounter with the giant sperm whale. Several different species of whale can be seen off kaikoura at different times of the year, but almost always the huge sperm whales. 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. Commonly asked questions about whale watching kaikoura. Next we will visit a fur seal colony before heading into kaikoura for some free time to explore and enjoy lunch at your leisure. We average between 1 to 2 whale sightings per tour due to the length of time the whales can stay submerged. Paddle gently along with them as they swim around the kaikoura peninsula hunting for their favourite feed of octopus.
Concern as two kaikoura sperm whales found dead source. The giant sperm whales share these waters with up to 14 other. Whale watching flight 30 min kaikoura wings over whales the best way to see the magestic whales, dolphins and stunning mountains is by air. Dawson1 and elisabeth slooten2 1department of marine science, university of otago, dunedin, new zealand. Whale watching new zealand sperm whale, humpback, hectors.
The sperm whale is the fourth largest whale, and the largest toothed whale and animal in the world. These beautiful creatures are photogenic at all times of the year. The giant sperm whales share these waters with up to 14 other different species of whales and dolphins that migrate past at different times of the year. Not because of the incredible views, or the seals sunbathing on the beach, but because of the whales. Our whole experience with kaikoura helicopters was great, from the initial booking over the phone with aaron and lloyd to the actual 30min whale watching helicopter flight. Into the deep the sperm whales of kaikoura whalespotter.
Floating on the surface, these huge mammals spend several minutes intaking breaths and jettisoning clouds of water high into the air. We saw a sperm whale, a right whale, hectors dolphins, decal. Magical, sperm whale sightings with whale watch kaikoura. The drive from christchurch brings up up along the coast to where it hugs the reaching. Sperm whale breaching and tailslapping kaikoura youtube. The town is the governmental seat of the territorial authority of the kaikoura district, which is politically a part of the canterbury region. Everything about the sperm whale is amazing and also just a bit mysterious too.
Let murray and his friendly team of pilots take you out over the kaikoura sea canyon to view the mighty sperm whale, from the tip to the tail. Our results thus indicate that sperm whales off kaikoura respond to whalewatching activities, although these. Sperm whale with whale watching vessel in kaikoura, new zealand. A couple hours north of christchurch, new zealand sits the very small tourist and fishing town of kaikoura. The company has played a vital role in rebuilding the. Whale watch kaikoura new zealand tourist attraction. Analysis of the usual click rates of sperm whales physeter macrocephalus at kaikoura, new zealand, confirms the potential for assessing. Whale and dolphin watching kaikoura best time to visit top. Wwk is an indigenous, 100% maori owned and operated venture in the small coastal town of kaikoura. Air kaikoura aero club was the first to offer whale watching flights in kaikoura and for the last 30 years has been providing amazing whale experiences. If you need help identifying species, download the marine mammal sighting form. A sperm whale recharges its blood with oxygen before diving back into the kaikoura canyon, kaikoura nz. It has a cosmopolitan distribution in the worlds oceans, but is generally found only in waters deeper than metres, and for a tourist those kinds of waters are hard to come by casually.
It is located on state highway 1, 180 km north of christchurch. It is because of this oil that man hunted the sperm whales, going after the prized spermaceti oil that was used to make smokeless candles during the 19 th century sperm whales are one of the deepest diving whales, they usually dive hundreds of meters to find their food but. I have read that there are resident sperm whales off the coast of kaikoura, but looking at the posts relating to sightings of sperm whales, there does not appear to have been any recently. Concern as two kaikoura sperm whales found dead 1 news. View the mighty sperm whale from boats that have been custom designed for whale watching and ensuring passenger comfort with a team of friendly skippers and guides experienced at interacting with the whales and other marine.
If your tour does not spot a whale then you are entitled to a 80% refund. Our collection includes whale soft toys, seal plush toys, dolphin figurines, and a range of octopus, squid, sea lion, penguin and mermaid toys for kids of all ages. Akaroa or kaikoura for whale dolphin watching akaroa. Pdf impacts of commercial whale watching on male sperm. Whale watch kaikoura is new zealands ultimate year round nature experience offering visitors exciting close encounters with giant sperm whales. Whale watch kaikoura kaikoura tour hasslefree tours.
Whale watch kaikoura marine experience in 90 secs youtube. Enjoy stunning scenic views of the coastline and see the mighty sperm whales in their natural environment. With a 95% chance of spotting whales, kaikoura is the number one destination in. Second kaikoura sperm whale found dead the death of a second semiresident kaikoura sperm whale in a month has been met with concern by those who know the animals.
Whale watch kaikoura 2020 all you need to know before. Whales different types of whales whale watch kaikoura. Kaikoura is home to the main new zealand population of sperm whales. The vast, expansive underwater kaikoura canyon is home to resident male sperm whales and a myriad of other ocean dwelling mammals. Whale watch offers international and domestic visitors to kaikoura an exciting close up encounter with the giant sperm whale, the largest of the toothed whales. Te wiki o te reo maori 9th 15th september 2019, 40 1 2019. An impressive 95% success rate means that you are guaranteed an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale. Did you know it is the giant sperm whale that we see off the kaikoura coastline all year round. A 95% success rate means a guaranteed 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale.
We had a great flight up the coast to view earthquake damage and then out to sea where we saw a sperm whale and an enormous pod of dolphins. Flukes lifting clear at the start of the deep dive, adolescent male sperm whales enjoy the rich diet of the kaikoura waters while building up their strength to move to the mating grounds of the warm north. An amazing variety of local marine life on your whale watch kaikoura tour whales giant sperm whale. At lengths over 18 metres, and weights exceeding 57 tonnes, they are the largest of the toothed whales, and also the worlds biggest predator. Download the whale watch kaikoura mobile app new zealands ultimate marine experience, now in your pocket. Being the largest of the toothed cetaceans they can measure in. Animals posing for photos in new zealand new zealand. Experience the magic of kaikoura whale watching with one of our tours.
Giant sperm whales are the stars of the show and yearround residents. Book your tickets online for whale watch kaikoura, kaikoura. 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. Whale watch kaikoura is one of the most popular tourist attractions and ranked in the top 101 must dos in new zealand. Kaikoura is the whale watching capital of new zealand, every whale watch tour is a unique experience and the sightings vary. I am happy to say i have ticked one of the major ones on this trip thanks to our amazing whale watching expedition with whale watch kaikoura whale watch kaikoura is a new zealand naturebased tourism company both owned and operated by the indigenous ngati kuri people of kaikoura, a maori subtribe of the south islands larger ngai tahu. The main focus of your tour is to locate and view the giant sperm whale. It will be a little hard to snap a selfie with a whale, however you can take a photo of one large tail. Whale watch kaikoura wwk is new zealands only marinebased whalewatching company, operating year round and offering visitors an exciting and upclose encounter with sperm whales. Sperm whale sperm whale kaikoura sperm whale diving below the water sperm whale sperm whale diving sperm whale morro jable lighthouse and sperm whale statue sperm whale tail of the sperm whale that dives into the waters of the pacific ocean.
Go to previous content download this content share this content add this content to favorites go to next content. Abundance and seasonal residence of sperm whales at kaikoura. I played safe and took travel sickness tablet and had no problems it was a great trip in which we saw four sperm whales and several flying albatrosses. Discover the fascinating world of the whales, dolphins, seals and marine birds that. Off the coast of the village is a marine environment so rich in nutrients that it attracts some of the most magnificent creatures with which we share our planet. Whale watch is new zealands only vesselbased whale watching company offering visitors an exciting upclose encounter with the worlds largest toothed predator the giant sperm whale in their natural environment at all times of the year. Make friends on the sea and land with your very own marine animal soft toy or figurine. Sperm whales are known for not appreciating loud noises.
This individual is hl50, my favourite whale that hangs out in the kaikoura. 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 watching in kaikoura nz kaikoura whale watching. Whale watching in kaik oura new zealand is just one of those places you cant help but like, and kaikoura is just one of those places you cant help but absolutely love. The upper teeth of a sperm whale never grow out of its upper jaw. The pinnacle of many peoples visit to new zealand is an exhilarating whale watch kaikoura encounter to witness sperm whales as they rest between dives. Kaikoura whales fly with garden city helicopters, christchurch to kaikoura for the ultimate whale watching experience ever. Whale watch kaikoura the great journeys of new zealand. The town has an estimated permanent resident population of 2,150 as of june 2018. Guided seal kayaking half day experience kaikoura kayaks. The largest whale watching operation is based in kaikoura, where tours focus on sperm whales that frequent underwater canyons close to shore, as well as. Whale watch is located in the town of kaikoura, a scenic 2. Whale watching in kaikoura new zealand is just one of those places you cant help but like, and kaikoura is just one of those places you cant help but absolutely love. Since then, the nz whale and dolphin trust has supported research on population size, behaviour and ecology, development of new acoustic techniques to locate and survey sperm whales and assessments of the impacts of tourism.