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A look back on January 2012 02 February 2012

Welcome to the first update of 2012. January has been a mixed month weather wise with some very summery days and then some not so summery days – in fact we had snow not once but twice settle on the mountains during the month – very unusual for this time of the year.

We had three of our semi-resident sperm whales feeding in the canyon this month: Tiaki, Tutu and Manu. These whale have been frequenting these waters for many years now and have become good friends of ours, it really is so wonderful when we see them return for the summer season each year.

January was a busy month for other species of whales & dolphins visiting Kaikoura:

2^nd January – Orca (Killer Whales) x6-12

3^rd January – Humpback Whale x1

4^th January – Humpback Whale x1

5^th January – Pilot Whales x30 + Bottlenose Dolphins x60

11^th January – Humpback Whale x1

12^th January – Humpback Whale x1

13^th January – Humpback Whale x1

14^th January – Humpback Whale x1

26^th January – Common Dolphins x200

29^th January – Common Dolphins x20

One of the great things about whale watching is that you never really know what you are going to see from one day to the next – it is what makes this job so incredibly special. There are days that we are treated to visiting species of whales, there are days when we see 1 sperm whale, there are days when we see 6 sperm whales and then there are days when nature just doesn’t seem to play the game… But one thing we do know no matter what we see it really is a privilege to be able to enter into the whale’s natural environment – totally being at the discretion of nature!

Apart from sperm whales and the other visiting species of whales we were fortunate enough to view dusky dolphins, hectors dolphins, NZ fur seals (even blue sharks) when time allowed on our tours.

There were plenty of marine birds species sighted throughout the month, such as: wandering & royal albatross, mollymawks, northern giant petrels, Hutton shearwaters, bullers shearwaters, westland petrels and many others, they are fantastic to view especially on a windy day!

As you can see January was a busy month with some great tours taking place. If you are planning on visiting us be sure to book in advance as this time of the year our tours can fill very quickly. We look forward to having you visit us, until keep updated on the goings on at Whale Watch Kaikoura via our facebook / twitter pages.

Until next time,

Lisa Bond

A look back on December 2011 11 January 2012

Hard to believe that we are nearly two weeks in to the New Year already! The team at Whale Watch Kaikoura hopes that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebration. Summer has come in hot bursts but there have also been some wet windy cold blasts come through too.

December was most certainly a month of variety with many different species of whales coming to visit us. Our main focus when we head out each day though is to view the sperm whale. We average 1-2 sperm whales on our tours and have a 95% success rate. The sperm whales live off our coastline all year round with Kaikoura being one massive feeding ground for them. They congregate here because the 3km deep Kaikoura Canyon runs right up against the coast creating a rare system of sea currents that sustain an incredibly rich marine food chain. Which in turn enables us to have up to 14 other species of whales and dolphins visit us throughout the year. During December we were able to view 3 of our semi-resident summer sperm whales. Manu (also known as Birdy), Tiaki (Maori word for Guardian) and Tutu (short for Tutumairekurai which translates to Special Ocean Dweller which is the Maori name given to the Hector's Dolphins. Tutu's dorsal fin is shaped a bit like that of a Hectors Dolphins - hence his name Tutu).

We had a busy last couple of weeks in December not only were we seeing sperm whales on our tours but also other visitors as they passed through Kaikoura:

20th Dec - Orca (Killer Whales) x6

21st Dec - Humpback Whale x1

22nd Dec - Minke Whale x1

23rd Dec - Beaked Whales x10

24th Dec - Beaked Whales x4

26th Dec - Humpback Whale x1

27th Dec - Beaked Whales x6

28th Dec - Beaked Whales x9

31st Dec - Humpback Whale x1

Be sure to check out our facebook page if you would like to see some of the photos our crew managed to get of some of these other species (and sperm whales) as they passed through.

When possible on our tours our captains do their best to stop and view other species of marine life such as dusky dolphins, NZ fur seals, marine birds (albatross, mollymawks, petrels, shearwaters etc...), passengers at times in December were also treated to sightings of jellyfish, blue penguins, blue sharks and sunfish.

The sunfish is an unusual looking marine creature. The sunfish or Mola Mola is the heaviest bony fish in the world weighing up to 1,000kg. They can be found swimming at depths of 600m, however can be sighted basking on the surface with their dorsal fin sticking out of the water, which we see at times during our summer months, definitely a weird but cool looking creature.

As you can see December was an exciting month out on the water - that is the beauty of dealing with marine life in their own natural environment - you never know what you are going to see from one day to the next, which is what makes this job so incredibly special.

Until next month, remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap - the NZ sun can be pretty fierce this time of the year.

Lisa Bond

Captain @ Whale Watch Kaikoura

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Meri Kirihimete from the team at Whale Watch Kaikoura 22 December 2011

"The team at Whale Watch Kaikoura would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, may the sun keep on shining and the beautiful summers day continue... We look forward to a great summer season with many stunning sightings! It is a great idea to book well in advance at this time of the year to avoid disappointment. Have a great time with your family and friends, for updates on what is happening out on our tours follow us on twitter and facebook. Meri Kirihimete!"

November Sightings Update 14 November 2011

I hope this update finds you all well and ready for another great Kiwi summer! We have had glimpse of summer over the last few weeks with the days warming up, seeing families at the beach during the weekend and some fantastic sunsets in the late evening – although as I type this winter is trying to make a comeback with a dusting of fresh snow on the mountains this morning after a stormy day yesterday…

The first few weeks of November was a trying time for us with the sperm whales feeding long distances offshore and the transition of season’s hard weather wise! We were viewing a pod of transient whales that would move around throughout the day. At times these whales were feeding beyond our operating limits which unfortunately meant we had to cancel quite a few tours as our permits do not allow us to go pass these limits that are set in place. When this happens we will offer an Inshore Nature Tour (if conditions allow) where it is possible to view dolphins, NZ fur seals, various types of pelagic seabirds and whatever else we happen to come across.

On the 22^nd of November however there was good news with the return of one of our summer resident sperm whales – Tiaki! Having him back enabled us to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he is a whale that is pretty reliable and consistent with feeding closer inshore. We have been seeing Tiaki off our coastline for many years now – his name meaning the Guardian in Maori.

There were a few more surprises in the last week of November with a Humpback whale visiting us on the 24^th & 27^th as well as a pod of Orca and Pilot Whales on the 29^th definitely a welcomed sight by all.

Other species of marine sighted at various times throughout the month include: dusky dolphins, hectors dolphins, blue sharks, blue penguins, sunfish and many different species of marine birds. We do our best to stop and view these other species when time and opportunity allows on our tours, always an added bonus when we can.

Hard to believe that December is now upon us, the countdown is on – not long until Christmas. The team at Whale Watch Kaikoura would like to thank all of you who have visited us this year, those who have followed us on facebook, twitter and you tube and shared with us your photos / videos and feedback. For those of you who are thinking about joining us in the near future please remember to book well in advance and if you have any questions at all feel free to email me.

The team at Whale Watch Kaikoura would like to wish you all a Meri Kirihimete – Merry Christmas and all the best over the upcoming festive season.

Lisa Bond
Captain @ Whale Watch Kaikoura
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October Sightings 30 October 2011

October ended up being an interesting month. It is around this time of the year that we notice the whales feeding further offshore as the changeover period from winter sperm whales to summer sperm whales takes place

September Sightings Update 12 September 2011

Spring is well and truly in full bloom with blossom covered trees, signs of new life around with baby lambs and calves bouncing around in the paddocks. There is still a reminder however that is not quite summer yet with plenty of snow on the Kaikoura ranges.

August Sightings 15 August 2011

Winter was in full swing at times during August with a couple of polar blasts leaving behind a big dump of snow each time. This made for a stunning back drop on the Kaikoura ranges but also made for chilly starts to the day!

July Sightings 25 July 2011

July was a great month here in Kaikoura, with fantastic sightings and some lovely weather too. Those of you what were in the area on the 27th of July would have been lucky enough to enjoy the snow which settled around the Kaikoura Township, a spectacular and rare occasion for us.

June Sightings Update 28 June 2011

Winter is most definitely in full force this end. The mountains are looking so spectacular due to a big polar blast that came through at the end of the month which meant the local ski field was able to open first weekend of July.

May 2011 Sightings Update 29 May 2011

It has been another great month here at Whale Watch Kaikoura. Hard to believe we are already half way through the year. We are definitely heading into winter with the cold frosts covering the fields in the mornings. Strangely enough though, we have had some lovely sunny days for almost two weeks. Climate agency NIWA (the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) has confirmed it has been the warmest May on record in New Zealand. NIWA says this month was two and a half degrees warmer than usual.