The Seals and Marine Life

New Zealand Fur seals can be observed from various points along the road that hugs the Kaikoura Coast. Hunted to near extinction last century for their skins, they have since become a protected species.

Fur seals with pups can be seen up close at the seal rookery at Point Keen on the Kaikoura Peninsula - an easy walk or short drive from Kaikoura Township.

These true monsters of the deep can grow to over 20 metres. Using the largest eye of any animal and a long set of grasping tentacles, the Giant Squid hunts sharks, other squid and fish in the pitch-black depths of the Kaikoura Canyon.

Once the Giant Squid's tentacles have secured its prey the victim is pulled towards a parrot-like beak and with the help of a rasping tongue tears the meal into small pieces. This food processing is carried out for good reason.

The digestive tract of the Giant Squid passes directly through its head. If it swallows something too large it will ream out its own brain and die.

The main predator of the Giant Squid is the Sperm Whale. Many of Kaikoura's Sperm Whales display dinner-plate sized tentacle scars from encounters with this giant of the deep. Large squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of beached Sperm Whales.

Did you know?
The Giant Squid avoids brain damage by using its large parrot-like beak to tear prey into small pieces.

Did you know?
At 30cm in diameter, the Giant Squid has the largest eye of any animal.

A deep-water fish and favourite food of the Sperm Whale, the Hoki gathers in huge numbers in the Kaikoura Canyon.

A fast moving member of the tuna family. Whale Watch crews have seen Sperm Whales catch Kingfish by stunning them with bursts of sonar.

A swift and aggressive denizen of the Kaikoura Canyon. Whale Watch crews have witnessed Sperm Whales using sonar to incapacitate a Mako shark before eating it.

A small shrimp-like animal that swarms in huge red shoals. Baleen whales depend on consuming large amounts of krill as the basis of their high protein diet.

A large species of deep-ocean fish and another favourite food of the Sperm Whales that live in the Kaikoura Canyon. Length 1.8m.

Lives in the depths of the Kaikoura Canyon. It's large green eyes are needed to see prey in total darkness.

The Great White is one of the top predators in the Kaikoura Canyon food chain.