Whale Watching in Kaikoura by Boat
- 3h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
Whale Watch is located in the small coastal town of Kaikōura on the East Coast of New Zealand’s South Island a scenic two and a half-hour drive north from Christchurch and two hour drive south from Picton. Kaikōura 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 Giant Sperm Whale. Whale Watch is New Zealand's only vessel-based whale watching company offering visitors an exciting up-close encounter with the world’s largest toothed predator the Giant Sperm Whale in their natural environment at all times of the year. Whale Watch scheduled tours operate daily. Our 95% success rate means we guarantee an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale. Whale Watch tours are extremely popular so we recommend booking early.
Inclusions
What's included
- Experienced knowledgeable staff providing a running commentary throughout your tour
- Bus ride to and from our marina
- 95% success rate backed up by an 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale
- Award winning onboard animations
- Tours operates all year round
- Modern fleet of purpose built catamarans
What's not
- Food and drinks
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.5
- 52,132
- 4522
- 3191
- 290
- 1109
Ratings come from 3,044 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Juvenile Humpback
Amazing day. Juvenile humpback hung around our boat for about 30 minutes… very special
5Splendid experience...
Splendid experience watching whales & dolphins. Tour guide was informative and allows plenty of time for photo shots.
4whale watching experience
We had a great time in Kaikoura, what a beautiful place, enjoyed the whale watching very much and loved the funny tour guide. The only thing I did not think was right was that for extra pay you got a private area on the boat that was cordoned off for the rest of us. Couldn't believe that that was a thing on a whale watching tour, definitely takes away from the camaraderie you get from finding and experiencing seeing the whales together
5Love whales
Staff were amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, comfortable beautiful boat, I thoroughly enjoyed my whole experience.
5Kaikoura whale tour
Superb get vip tickets for enhanced experience saw humpback 🐋 dusky dolphins 🐬 and fur seals unique and brilliant tour recommended
5Awesome Sealife Experience
Awesome experience. We got to see humpback whales, seals, albatross and dolphins. Very knowledgeable crew!!
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Departure Point: Whale Watch Kaikoura is located on Whaleway Station Road just a short walk or drive from the town centre - our office is based at the Old Railway Station. Address: Whale Watch Kaikoura Whaleway Station Road Kaikoura 7300
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 116 travellers
- Operated by
- Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tours operate all year: 7.15am, 10.00am, 12.45pm & 3.30pm (Nov-Mar)—Please note that these are check-in times only - please do not come earlier than the times specified.
- The minimum age limit for children traveling on a whale watch tour is 3yrs+, although Whale Watch Kaikōura maintains the right to raise the age limit depending on sea and weather conditions at the time of check-in.
How it compares in Kaikōura
- Its from-price is 55% below the median of the 30 experiences we list in Kaikōura.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 30.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Kaikōura
Kaikōura is a small town on the east coast of the South Island, where mountains meet the sea and whales, dolphins and seals live close to shore.
Kaikōura sits on a peninsula on the east coast of the South Island, with the snow-capped Seaward Kaikōura Range rising almost straight from the shore. The name means meal of crayfish in Māori, and crayfish, or rock lobster, have long been the town's trade. A deep submarine canyon comes close to the coast, so that sperm whales feed offshore all year, and a walkway round the peninsula gives views of seals, seabirds and the mountains.
Top-ranked sights in Kaikōura: Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway.
Special offers in Kaikōura
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
