Trip Overview
Proceed to the store for check-in—Take the bus to the port (8–10 min)—Board the ship—Listen to the safety briefing—Go whale watching—Return to the store
(Approximately 2 hrs on the water. Including check-in time, safety briefing, and bus transfers, it is recommended to allocate a total of 3 hrs 15 min.)
Activity duration: about 3 hr 15 min
Ticket type
Electronic confirmation letter
inclusions
Transportation from the store to the pier, whale watching cruise
Service not included
No snacks or drinks provided on board
Additional charges
Motion sickness pills, Acustraps anti-nausea wristbands, other souvenirs, and food & beverages
Important Notes
Lower deck with 104 seats, upper deck with 12 seats; the vessel is 23.9 meters long and 9.2 meters wide. The whale watching tour boat is enclosed. If you wish to observe marine animals outside the cabin, please bring warm clothing.
The event may be canceled due to uncontrollable reasons such as weather. If canceled due to weather conditions, a full refund will be issued.
In case of not seeing whales due to uncontrollable reasons such as weather conditions, an 80% refund will be provided after the cruise.
Please proceed to Whaleway Train Station in Kaikoura according to your booked time slot. Being late will be considered a no-show, with no rescheduling or refund permitted. Please be advised!
Q: Is there any risk of capsizing?
A: No.
Q: Will there be seasickness?
A: It varies from person to person. You can bring your own motion sickness medication. Kaikoura Whale Watch retail stores can provide non-medical remedies for seasickness, such as:
Acustraps - These wristbands apply gentle pressure to acupressure points on the wrist and are available for rent or purchase.
@ Ease Natural Motion Sickness Relief - Our @Ease is a natural formula that provides up to 12 hrs of motion sickness prevention.
For strong motion sickness medication, you can purchase it at Kaikoura Pharmacy, just a 10-min walk from the whale watching company.
Q: What marine life can be seen?
A: The main attraction is sperm whales. Since sperm whales may dive deep during the tour, we typically spot whales 1-2 times per trip. In Kaikoura, sperm whales surface every 40-60 min. Most sperm whales seen along our coastline are males. They form loose groups, usually staying miles apart, so spotting 1-2 sperm whales per trip is considered very lucky. Nearly 80% of the world's whale and dolphin species migrate past our coastline, offering year-round opportunities to see other marine animals like blue whales, fin whales, sei whales, humpback whales, minke whales, pilot whales, orcas, southern right whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, southern right whale dolphins, elephant seals, and leopard seals.
Q: Is there a parking lot?
A: Yes, and it's free.
Important Notes
1: The time you booked is the ticket redemption time at the whale watching office, not the departure time. Please arrive on time according to the booked time, no need to arrive early. The departure time is 30 min after ticket redemption.
2: The Kaikoura Whale Watching Office provides free multilingual whale watching brochures, including simplified and traditional Chinese versions, available for self-service.
There are ample free parking spaces available for guests in front of the Kaikoura Whale Watch office.
