Kaikoura Whale Watching Tour Reviews

4.6 Rating 42 Reviews

Get up to $15 cash back per person when you book with us Join one of New Zealand's best whale watching tours 80% refund if your tour does not see a whale Possible dolphin and New Zealand fur seal sightings Onboard 'World of the Whales' visual presentation Please note: Bookings are on request and available departure times may vary. Our team will be in contact within 72 hours should a tour time not be available.

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“Wow what a great time on the sea. We didn't see whales but saw a very large dolphin pod. This was made up 3 different species playing. Took some really good photos as I kept shooting the camera and didn't know how they would turn out. Is it worth it? Yes it is and glad my wife and I did this trip. If we went there again we would do the whale watch again.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“A wonderful boat with a very informative commentary about the Sperm Whale. This was a great experience and is highly recommended.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“The most incredible trip!!! We saw 3 sperm whales on our trip, and also had the luck of seeing all three tail flicks as they dive down under the water. It was such a special experience and run really well making sure we didn’t get too close to the whales so they were scared. We also saw a huge group of dolphins which swam right up close to the boat and doing lots of tricks for us which was so wholesome. All in all this was by far the best trip I’ve ever been on and would recommend to anyone!!!”

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Posted 1 year ago

Rachel Soudakoff

Verified Reviewer

“Very friendly and helpful staff who took our accommodations needs seriously and did their best to ensure that we had a great experience. Saw a couple of whales and hundreds of dolphins! Amazing”

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Posted 1 year ago

Claudine Bresgi

Verified Reviewer

“Overall our experience with this operator was satisfactory. While we didn't see any whales, they were able to show us dolphins and a seal or two. The low rating is due to the extremely lengthy check in process. Do not arrive early, only the time stated on your booking. You still wait 45 minutes before getting on a bus to be taken to the boats. Space to sit and wait is limited. The boats are large but viewing space is crowded. The host sounds bored and makes inappropriate comments. There's no refreshments on board, which is fine, but there is also none available from the gift shop (except for souveneir treats). Despite delayes caused by the operator we were only offered the option of staying out later after we had returned from the whale area. From arrival to departure we felt the staff were not interested in finding whales and were merely showing up for the job that day. The operator refunds 80% of the fare if no whales are spotted. These were processed before the boat returned to shore. Book a helipcopter or plane experience instead, we wish we had.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Susannah Hughes-Jordan

Verified Reviewer

“Brilliant tour and very engaging and informative guides.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Laura Grootens

Verified Reviewer

“It was fantastic! Due to rough seas our first trip got rescheduled to the next day. Luckily we could get on the early boat. During our time at sea we saw three sperm whales, which was awesome! There was great commentary from our guide and in between traveling to different sites we were informed about these impressive whales. The tour didn’t end there, we also got to see dusky dolphins. There was a huge pod and they entertained us with backflips and jumps out of the water. It was amazing!”

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Posted 1 year ago

Mandy Bearne

Verified Reviewer

“Well run operation on a fast Catamaran out to the ocean where the whales can be found. We saw a sperm whale and lots of dolphins. I was seasick but they provided a virtual reality headset that helped.”

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Posted 1 year ago