Point Kean Seal Sanctuary, Kaikoura

Drive or walk along the coastline from Kaikoura township to the very end of the headland. There you will come across a small car park with a few unusual visitors of the ‘New Zealand Fur Seal’ kind. The rocky outcrop at Point Kean expanded much further out to sea following the recent earthquake and the seals are now spread out over a significant distance. However there are still some inquisitive ones that come in closer and will happily lounge about on the raised boardwalk or grassy banks. In the last couple of years I’ve usually only seen sleepy young males around these parts but very occasionally a young pup will join it’s mum and delight it’s audience.

If the tide is right take a walk further around the headland, being careful not to trip on the rocks and slippery seaweed. There are a lot more seals around these parts, hidden from sight. Be warned several will happily flop across the pathway and don’t much care if it was meant for our feet not theirs. I’ve regularly had to clamber up and around some grumpy seal who has been all to happy to bark and snarl at me. It’s still a treat to spend time visiting them though and as long as you are careful and don’t block their route to the sea, the only aggression you’ll experience is their bark. All bark and no bite……but never risk this!

Spotting whales in Kaikoura

Which is better is a tough question. Spotting Kaikoura’s resident sperm whales from the water or air?

Having been fortunate enough to experience both I can categorically say that the answer isn’t easy.

Nothing beats a sighting of a whale close up by boat. Bobbing alongside such a magnificent mammal is truly awe inspiring and even more so when the whale sucks in that last bit of air and arches its back upwards rising to the sky to sink deep into the depths below. The first time you witness this it simply blows you away.

The great thing about being on the water of course is that you also have the opportunity to spot other sea creatures and birds close up. Seals are often seen bobbing in the water and dolphins love nothing more than to frolic on the brow of the boat. There are heaps of rare seabirds in these parts including the largest of them all, the mighty albatross, which are often spotted on the horizon.

From a plane the view is very different as you’d expect and you have the benefit of being able to appreciate the full size and scale of the whale. The flight itself is quite an adventure - taking off from a grass runway in such a small plane whilst watching the pilot at the controls right in front of you.

The views of the Kaikoura Headland are quite spellbinding as are those of the mighty Kaikoura Mountain Range. The great thing about the plane trip is that it’s quick. Once a whale is spotted they can approach it much faster than any boat can which can really benefit a viewing. The whales only breach the surface of the water for a few minutes, taking in deep breathes of air before plunging down again. I was lucky on my trip and we actually saw a whale surface so spent several precious minutes circling just above.

So which is better, the plane or the boat? Hmmmmmmmm