New Zealand - Whale Watch

New Zealand Whale Watch

Years ago, Lynn and I embarked on a whale watching trip on California's Pacific Coast. We were advised in advance that it was not the best time of year for whale watching, but that whales were still being regularly spotted. On our trip, some us spotted the tail of a whale, but it happened so quickly that Lynn missed it. I drew what we saw on a napkin for her, but you might imagine, it was not the same.

Unbeknownst to us when we took that California trip to go whale watching that we would had a unique opportunity to enjoy the Whale Watch of a lifetime in Kaikoura, New Zealand. It was an optional outing offered by APT that we enjoyed on Sunday, March 6, 2005. We hooked up with Canterbury Leisure Tours who took us to the Whale Watch, then on to Christchurch to meet back up with our APT group later in the day.

At top is a coach operated by Whale Watch. That coach took us to the Whale Watch pier and the boat shown above. Inside (photo at left), the boat was modern and high tech. A large Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen projected sophisticated and detailed computer screens of the crafts operation, where we were and the creatures we encountered.

Within minutes of our aquatic excursion, we encountered our first whale. Whales come to the surface to aerate themselves. Most of their body remains under the water's surface, so we miss the full impact of how large these creatures really are. Below, one of the whales we encountered sprays water into the air.

Whale Watch operators have learned what whale behavior indicates that they have completed their aerating rest at the surface and plan to dive back down deep into the ocean. When that happens we are given a few seconds warning so we can focus our cameras and be prepared to take photographs.

We viewed as many as 7 or 8 different whales on that afternoon and got closer to a whale in its natural environment as we might ever hope to get. It was a memorable experience and it was nice that Lynn saw them also on this trip.

At right is the brochure for the Whale Watch attraction.

Click to see photographs of dolphins from this trip.