Whale Watch Kaikoura
Whale Watch Kaikoura
4.5
Boat ToursSightseeing ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
"THE ULTIMATE MARINE EXPERIENCE" Whale Watch® is New Zealand's only marine-based whale watching company offering visitors an exciting up-close encounter with the Giant Sperm Whale all year round. A 95% success rate means a guaranteed 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale. 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. At times you may also see NZ Fur Seals, rare & endangered Hector’s Dolphins & a wide variety of marine birds including the wandering albatross. Designed for whale watching, the company operates a fleet of modern catamarans equipped with engines that minimise underwater noise &toilets that never pollute the sea. The main passenger cabin is enclosed and large outside decks offer great viewing and photo opportunities. Spacious air-conditioned interiors are fitted with comfortable seating while large plasma screens display award-winning marine wildlife animations.
Kaikoura, New Zealand
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Whale Watch Kaikoura
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4.5
2,843 reviews
Excellent
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196
Poor
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101
Rebecca S
2 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
A life long dream to be close to a whale - I couldn’t have asked for more. Friendly and accommodating staff. With the VIP option the seating and lunch were brill. Narration through the boat journey was really interesting and informative. The feeling of being so close to these animals - unbelievable. A trip I won’t forget.
Written 18 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
whitey7
surrey173 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Travelled oct 2023.
First off, be prepared. Be very prepared for sea sickness. I have never seen so many people on one boat be so ill. Sitting in your seat with staff walking past with gloves on with paper bags and tissues then coming back past with bags full of vomit is not what I signed up for to be honest. You are out on the boat for 2 hours and on our day (the sea actually looked like a mill pond from the shore on a nice bright day), the swell was huge. I consider myself to be very good on boats and to be honest? I couldn't wait to get off. When disembarking both the boat and the coach, no one looked ecstatic by their experience or very happy, many still holding empty sick bags. I don't think the coach driver knew what to say to be honest and he certainly didn't get on the mic and ask the usual "did everyone have a nice time? Did you enjoy that?"
Secondly, the actual tour. The commentary was good and very informative.
Please don't think you are going to see pods of whales and dolphins all breaching and leaping. We were on the verge of turning around and coming back in without seeing anything other than a few birds including a distant Albatross when at the very last minute, we saw one single Whale. It lay there, breached so we saw its tale and we went home. However, half the boat by this time were so ill, I doubt they even acknowledged that there was a whale sighted.
I have to say? I didn't think it was worth the money. My wife liked it and was over the moon to see a whale in the wild but by the time we saw it, I was very ready to see dry land again.
It is sold as a whale watch and the pictures in the brochures depict close up shots and promise so much more. I realise this is a lottery as to seeing anything but All I can say and advise is remember that fact and be prepared to be disappointed. I hope you have a very different experience.
First off, be prepared. Be very prepared for sea sickness. I have never seen so many people on one boat be so ill. Sitting in your seat with staff walking past with gloves on with paper bags and tissues then coming back past with bags full of vomit is not what I signed up for to be honest. You are out on the boat for 2 hours and on our day (the sea actually looked like a mill pond from the shore on a nice bright day), the swell was huge. I consider myself to be very good on boats and to be honest? I couldn't wait to get off. When disembarking both the boat and the coach, no one looked ecstatic by their experience or very happy, many still holding empty sick bags. I don't think the coach driver knew what to say to be honest and he certainly didn't get on the mic and ask the usual "did everyone have a nice time? Did you enjoy that?"
Secondly, the actual tour. The commentary was good and very informative.
Please don't think you are going to see pods of whales and dolphins all breaching and leaping. We were on the verge of turning around and coming back in without seeing anything other than a few birds including a distant Albatross when at the very last minute, we saw one single Whale. It lay there, breached so we saw its tale and we went home. However, half the boat by this time were so ill, I doubt they even acknowledged that there was a whale sighted.
I have to say? I didn't think it was worth the money. My wife liked it and was over the moon to see a whale in the wild but by the time we saw it, I was very ready to see dry land again.
It is sold as a whale watch and the pictures in the brochures depict close up shots and promise so much more. I realise this is a lottery as to seeing anything but All I can say and advise is remember that fact and be prepared to be disappointed. I hope you have a very different experience.
Written 11 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca W
Birmingham, UK8 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
Really polite, friendly and attentive crew who looked after everyone really well through a trip with big swell. Great commentary and perseverance to spot a whale. Thank you!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neil D
Hampshire96 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
We saw a whale. Just one and no dolphins. I accept that nature is a pot luck experience with nothing guaranteed however I felt that the trip was rushed so that we could see a whale so they didn’t need to pay refunds. We ran out of time as they run so many trips in one day making it feel quite production line and we had no time to go to see anything else as the boat needed to get back for the following trip. The commentary was very poor too and we couldn’t hear or understand a word of it other than the word “folks” time after time.
We went on a trip off the gold coast a few years ago that was much much better.
Not criticising the lack of wildlife but as I said I felt we were small changed due to the timetable. Disappointing to read that other trips got a partial refund for ONLY seeing one whale and some dolphins as you saw more than we did and no mention of a refund.
I’m my view could do better.
We went on a trip off the gold coast a few years ago that was much much better.
Not criticising the lack of wildlife but as I said I felt we were small changed due to the timetable. Disappointing to read that other trips got a partial refund for ONLY seeing one whale and some dolphins as you saw more than we did and no mention of a refund.
I’m my view could do better.
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tcc1056
New York City, NY74 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
We hesitated taking the tour as the ocean was forecasted to be a bit rough, which it was - but the trip was definitely worth it. I recommend upgrading to the Captain’s Cabin if you want a little more space and 1:1 interactions with the crew. I was pleasantly surprised at the end of the trip when they announced they were going to refund us 40% of our ticket cost because we only saw 1 whale and 4-5 pods of dolphins.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
skyler_lowman
Virginia Beach, VA12 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Solo
I recently went on the whale watching tour with this company and it was fantastic! We didn't get to see any whales, but we saw lots of dolphins, some seals and some albatross! The views from the boat were immaculate! Even though we didn't see any whales, the experience was amazing and the company is so awesome and gives you an 80% refund if you don't see whales. If your trip gets cancelled, you can either reschedule or get a refund! So worth it because you are either going to see whales or get your money back! Such a great experience and it is so amazing seeing the mountains from the water!
Written 2 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth B
3 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
What an experience! We managed to see a whole pod of dusky dolphins (who love coming to explore around the boat), albatross and Orca’s. The crew were amazing and Cameron who gave us all the information on marine wildlife was so fun and engaging. Luckily for us the sun was out which made it such a pleasant experience. Would highly recommend!! Biggest piece of advice; wrap up warm!!
Written 13 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace G
5 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Friends
This was a great tour, I just wish I wasn't so nauseous during most of it. We had a surprise sighting early on of two fin whales. And then a little later we had our first sighting of a giant sperm whale, one they had nicknamed Holey Moly. We saw hime float around and dive, and then actually saw him once again a bit later. The dive was beautiful as he brought his tail up out the water. We also saw some dolphins and a fur seal.
Definitely if you are prone to motion sickness you should consider taking precautions. I was not thinking that the water would be so rough, but while we were stopped the boat bobbed a lot and made me pretty sick so I was confined to my seat for most of the tour. They did have barf bags and even a VR headset that I was able to try out to help with the seasickness. Luckily most of the action was on my side of the boat so I still got to see the beautiful animals! Oh and views of the shore/mountains were absolutely gorgeous during the whole tour.
Definitely if you are prone to motion sickness you should consider taking precautions. I was not thinking that the water would be so rough, but while we were stopped the boat bobbed a lot and made me pretty sick so I was confined to my seat for most of the tour. They did have barf bags and even a VR headset that I was able to try out to help with the seasickness. Luckily most of the action was on my side of the boat so I still got to see the beautiful animals! Oh and views of the shore/mountains were absolutely gorgeous during the whole tour.
Written 30 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ThomasCobb
3 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Solo
Long wait until got on the boat.
Commentary very poor, most of which i could not hear.
Saw two whales briefly, lots of stop and starting.
Considering reviews, i was disappointed. Not cheap either
Commentary very poor, most of which i could not hear.
Saw two whales briefly, lots of stop and starting.
Considering reviews, i was disappointed. Not cheap either
Written 29 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma A
Portsmouth, UK88 contributions
May 2023
My dad and I went on a Whale Watch tour in May and had an absolutely wonderful time.
The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and made sure we didn't miss a thing as well as ensuring safety on board.
The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and made sure we didn't miss a thing as well as ensuring safety on board.
Written 27 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
feezi
Melbourne, Australia1 contribution
Hi, what month is the best time to whale watch?
Ryan Whanau
Hamilton, New Zealand33 contributions
It depends on your priorities. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the Whale Watch site.
NAllcock61
Kingdom City, MO1 contribution
We are visiting this area on 1.4.20 what are our chances of seeing whales?
MT
Essex, United Kingdom20 contributions
We went end Feb/ early March and saw humpbacks and orcas. Didn't see a sperm whale. Saw Royal Albatrosses. What we loved most were the dolphins that escorted the boat for a good length of the voyage.
I gather that cancellations of cruises can occur due to inclement weather and seas.
Hi, We are visiting February will that be A good time to see the whales?
Whale Watch Kaikōura
Kaikoura, New Zealand13 contributions
Kia Ora Leslie,
There is no better time of year to see the whales as they are feeding off our coastline here in Kaikoura all year round. Looking back on last years sightings in February, it was a particularly good month with sightings of Sperm Whales. The water is much warmer at that time of year too so there is an added chance of seeing Dusky and Common dolphins and if we are really lucky maybe even the Orca.
We average 1-2 whale sightings per tour and have 95% success rate. If for some reason you do not see a whale while on your tour, you will get upto an 80% refund.
We hope we get the chance to show off our beautiful blue backyard to you!
The_Kings_49
Dorking5 contributions
We are visiting on 19th (pm) and 20th November 2019. Do we need to book in advance or should we wait to see what the weather is like? If we dont book in advance could we miss out because you will be too busy?
Whale Watch Kaikōura
Kaikoura, New Zealand13 contributions
Kia Ora!
We advise that you book as soon as you know your travel plans in order to prevent disappointment in certain tour dates/times being fully booked. November is the start of our peak season and tours do tend to book up fairly quickly. Here at Whale Watch Kaikoura, we are very flexible and able to easily change the time and/or date of passengers tours upon request in the lead up to your booking.
If you need help with anything, please don't hesitate to get in touch again.
Nga Mihi,
Jaegan
Scipio A
Sri Aman, Malaysia35 contributions
What is the best time in a day to spot whales? Tqvm
Kiran
Bengaluru, India68 contributions
It is difficult to say. We had been there in the afternoon and we were going around in boat for 2 hours and we couldn’t find any. When we were returning finally we could see one.
But we could enjoy to see the dolphins. First time I could see so many dolphins.
JanetF0201
Viernheim58 contributions
Hi, we want to travel to New Zealand next year and will be in Kaikoura at the end of February. Are there chances to see Orcas at this time of the year? Thank you very much!
michel m
Beaumont, France1,648 contributions
Hi, i cannot answer your question and it’is better to check directly with the organizer
Jess L
Singapore
May I know the price and if early jun is a gd time to see the whales?
Thanks
Whale Watch Kaikōura
Kaikoura, New Zealand13 contributions
Sperm whales are semi-residential to our area so we are lucky enough to see them all year round.
June is a time of which Humpback whales embark on their great annual migration so there is the added bonus of also potentially spotting this species on your tour.