Whale Watch Cruise in Kaikoura
- Whale Watch Kaikoura is New Zealand’s ultimate whale watching experience that's available all-year round
- Kaikoura is 2.5-hour scenic drive away from Christchurch with beautiful countryside views and is rated one of the best whale watching spots in the world
- Get up close up with giant sperm whales, the largest toothed predators
- An impressive 95% success rate means that you are guaranteed an 80% refund if your tour does not spot a whale!
What to expect
Go on a scenic 2.5-hour drive north of Christchurch and enjoy breathtaking rural views of North Canterbury on your way to Kaikoura — one of the best whale watching spots in the world.
Arrive at the port, hop into a sailboat, and cruise around Kaikoura for an almost guaranteed whale sighting. In fact, this whale watching tour has a 95% success rate and, in the very rare case that you will not see a whale on the trip, you will get an 80% refund.
Make sure to keep your camera handy for when the mighty giant sperm whale reveals itself. Take plenty of photos from the boat, which allows you to get really close to the marine animals, and enjoy the ultimate whale watching experience!




























Good to know
- Before your trip, please check the latest weather forecast on the operator’s website, as conditions can change quickly and updates will be posted online to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience
VIP Captain’s Cabin
- Capacity is limited to 12 passengers
- Priority boarding and transport
- Business class seating
- Seats are angled outwards to maximize views through the large windows
- The cabin is air conditioned
- Water fountain provided
- A large screen displays our award-winning marine wildlife animations
- A full tour narration is provided
- Access to all other passenger areas on the vessel
- Locally made food box and cold drinks
- An exclusive viewing area on the top deck
Reviews
I recently took a whale watch cruise in Kaikoura, New Zealand, and it was fantastic. The staff were great, and we were lucky to see whales three times! The stunning coastline made it even better. And we also watch thousand over of Dophins ! Highly recommend!
Hehe, it was so much fun ㅠㅠ I really like whales, so I got to see it up close. If you want to see the whales up close, choose a boat, or if you want to see the whales in their entirety, choose a helicopter. But after being on the bow, it moves towards the whale like a speedboat, and it's just like riding an amusement ride. It's so much fun🥹👍🏻 I think I saw the whale two or three times. I glanced at the tail and body, and it was disappointing that the whale didn't jump as high as I expected, but it was an unfamiliar experience :) There were people who got seasick because the boat was bouncing up and down so much.
Went out on the boat to experience whales in their natural environment. The boat was very comfortable and the staff were friendly and made you feel safe. It was a very windy day and the sea was very rough so taking sea sickness pills before the trip was a good idea. We saw a whale which was amazing and also saw some Albatross, Hectors Dolphins and Dusky Dolphins. Highly recommend
Thoroughly enjoyed the tour! The cruise was comfortable and had sufficient space for everyone to stand around to watch the whales. As guaranteed, we saw a whale! Bonus was seeing it twice! Staff were informative and gave us the space and time to enjoy the whales.
exchange a pass at the office for boarding the bus to the port and the ferry. during the cruise, nice explanation about the marine. can observe it from a distance, nice and fun.
It was a choppy ride with gale warning and high chance of sea sickness. Thankful that the ride proceeded and we got to see marama and tiaki whales and a school of dusky dolphins and fur seals
seamless experience changing the klook voucher for tickets! was pretty excited till the boat started moving... it was such a bumpy ride finding the whales 🥲🥲🥲 felt sooooo sea sick throughout, despite eating medicine. there was a couple of ppl puking into paper bags provided by the staff too, not just me. managed to see ard 2-3 whales but couldn't enjoy myself at all.
Fabulous day, amazing experience! Perfect calm sunny day, Captain Jack ably assisted by Fiona, Billy & the team located a sperm whale called Holey Moley shortly after sailing out. We watched for about 10 mins until he dived then they took us to another spot where we were lucky enough to watch a pod of Hector dolphins and also Dusky dolphins, not to mention seeing a lone Albatross! Consider ourselves very lucky. The onboard commentary and knowledge of the team all added to the experience. Comfortable seating on board ( would recommend VIP upgrade)and smooth transfers via bus there and back. Thoroughly recommend!⭐️⭐️⭐️
we had a great time on this tour! we saw one sperm whale twice with chance to watch it diving down. so beautiful! and we even went to visit a seal colony too. the boat was comfortable and spacious to ride out in. so lucky with the weather too! would deffo recommend this tour
Personally, I like natural scenery more than animals, so it wasn't a great course, but I recommend it to those who, unlike me, really want to see whales. I've seen a whale's tail a couple of times, and they say you're lucky if you see the tail. The tail itself is said to be 4-5 meters long, but it doesn't look very big because you see it from a distance. (Just looking at the sea is nice, but it's better not to expect too much.) I didn't get sick because I took motion sickness medication, but I saw one person who suffered from motion sickness. It is recommended that you take motion sickness medication beforehand! When you go out to sea, it's quite cold and the wind is very strong. (It doesn't matter if you're on board) I didn't wear sunglasses, but there were a lot of people wearing sunglasses. I couldn't understand because I don't speak English, but I thought the guide was interesting. I especially liked the video that was shown on the TV.
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