Bryde's Whale - Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, New Zealand

Whale watching in New Zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of Kaikōura and the Hauraki Gulf. Known as the 'whale capital', Kaikōura is a world-famous

whale watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins ( cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...

site, in particular for

sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the sperm whale famil ...

s which is currently the most abundant of large whales in New Zealand waters. The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (just outside

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

city) is also a significant whale watching area with a resident population of Bryde's Whales commonly viewed alongside other

cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...

Common Dolphins The common dolphin (''Delphinus delphis'') is the most abundant cetacean in the world, with a global population of about six million. Despite this fact and its vernacular name, the common dolphin is not thought of as the archetypal dolphin, with ...

, Bottlenose Dolphins and

Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...

. Whale watching is also offered in other locations, often as eco-tours and in conjunction with dolphin watching. Land-based whale watching from New Zealand's last whaling station, which closed in 1964, is undertaken for scientific purposes, mostly by ex-whalers. Some compilations of sighting footages are available on YouTube.

Background

Many places that were formerly whaling stations went into recession after the collapse of the whaling industry; New Zealand stopped whaling in 1964. Whaling did not stop due to environmental or ethical concerns but because the declining number of whales made the industry uneconomic. Whilst New Zealand protected

right whale Right whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus ''Eubalaena'': the North Atlantic right whale (''E. glacialis''), the North Pacific right whale (''E. japonica'') and the Southern right whale (''E. australis''). They are clas ...

s in 1935, it was not until 1978 that all

marine mammal Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reli ...

s were protected by law. Kaikōura's recent development has been used to advocate the benefits of whale watching over whale hunting and other whale-watching operators such as Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari have successfully combined scientific research and conservation efforts alongside their commercial offering. Due to illegal whaling by

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

(with help of Japan) in the 1970s, recovery state of

baleen whale Baleen whales (systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their ...

s migrating to New Zealand coasts were heavily slowed down, far worse than in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n waters, and this contributed to make public images that Kaikōura is the only site for whale watching, and Sperm Whale is the only species can be observed normally. New Zealand is the first nation in the world to protect marine mammals by law.

Hauraki Gulf

Largely regarded as one of the most abundant and diverse marine reserves in the world, the Hauraki Gulf is home to several species of cetaceans, most notably

Bryde's whale Bryde's whale ( Brooder's), or the Bryde's whale complex, putatively comprises three species of rorqual and maybe four. The "complex" means the number and classification remains unclear because of a lack of definitive information and research ...

Killer whale The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white pa ...

s (Orca),

and Bottlenose Dolphins. Situated just off the coast of New Zealand's largest city

, the main whale watching operato
Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari
departs from the

Viaduct Harbour Viaduct Harbour, formerly known as Viaduct Basin, is a former commercial harbour on the Auckland waterfront that has been turned into a development of mostly upscale apartments, office space and restaurants. It is located on the site of a formerl ...

and runs daily trips (weather permitting) into the

Hauraki Gulf Marine Park The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, File:Whale watching in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.jpg, Passengers aboard a whale watching vessel enjoy a close encounter with a Bryde's Whale. File:Bryde's Whale - Auckland, New Zealand.jpg, A surface-feeding Bryde's Whale is spotted in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park File:Orca near Auckland city, New Zealand.jpg, Orca (Killer Whales) are often seen close to Auckland city. File:Whale watching - Auckland, New Zealand.jpg, A Bryde's Whale approaches a whale watching vessel in Auckland, New Zealand File:Orca in front of Rangitoto - Auckland, New Zealand.jpg, A pod of Orca (Killer Whales) are spotted cruising past Rangitoto Island near Auckland, New Zealand

Kaikōura

The sea around Kaikōura supports an abundance of sea life, with the town's income stemming largely from the tourism generated from whale watching and swimming with or around dolphins. Recently the sperm whale watching at Kaikōura has developed rapidly and now it is an industry leader; arguably the most developed in the world. The dominant organisation in Kaikōura's whale watching industry is Whale Watch Kaikōura, which is run as a charitable organisation. It takes around 100,000 visitors out by boat per annum, and has an annual turnover of New Zealand dollar, NZ$10m. Whale Watch Kaikōura began operating in 1987 with a boat. Whale watching is also done by air, and the Kaikoura Aerodrome is mainly used for whale spotting tourist flights by Wings over Whales and Air Kaikoura – Kaikoura Aero Club.

Tory Channel

New Zealand's last whaling station was in Whekenui Bay in

Tory Channel Tory Channel / Kura Te Au is one of the drowned valleys that form the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. Inter-island ferries normally use it as the principal channel between Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds. Tory Channel / Kura Te Au lies ...

in the Marlborough Sounds. The high cliffs at the entrance of Tory Channel are ideal for land-based whale watching. During the migratory season for whales, the lookout is manned and whales passing Cook Strait are watched for research purposes. Most of the volunteers undertaking the work are ex-whalers. It is also the location where the first

Southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...

on main islands sighted since the end of whaling. Cetaceans can be seen in Waikawa, Picton, French Pass, and in

Abel Tasman National Park Abel Tasman National Park is a New Zealand national park located between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere at the north end of the South Island. It is named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New ...

as well.

Other locations

Whale watching, in conjunction with dolphin watching, is already offered in the Bay of Islands and

Moutohora Island Moutohora Island (previously known as Whale Island) ( mi, Moutohorā) is a small uninhabited island located off the Bay of Plenty coast of New Zealand's North Island, about north of the town of Whakatane. The island is a remnant of a complex ...

(also known as Whale Island) in the Bay of Plenty.

Future developments

Other locations (or anywhere else) in the nation, such as at bays on Aupouri Peninsula,

Rangaunu Harbour Rangaunu Harbour is a shallow harbour in the far north of New Zealand. It is situated on the east coast at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula. The name in Māori language, Māori means "To pull out a shoal of fish". With an area of it is the fifth ...

, Whangarei Harbour, Firth of Thames, Tamaki Bight, eastern Coromandel Peninsula,

Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...

, Hawke's Bay,

Castlepoint Castlepoint is a small beachside settlement on the Wairarapa coast of the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is home to a lighthouse which stands near the top of the northern end of a reef. The reef is about one kilometre long. At the south ...

, vicinity to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, South Taranaki Bight,

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

, Kapiti Island,

Golden Bay Golden Bay may refer to: * Golden Bay / Mohua, a bay at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island * Golden Bay (Malta), a bay and beach on the coastline of Malta * Golden Bay High School, a high school in Takaka, New Zealand * Golden Bay, Wes ...

, Hokitika,

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

, Moeraki and Karitane, Otago Peninsula, Taieri Mouth, Nugget Point, The Catlins, Port Craig in Te Waewae Bay, Fiordland, Paterson Inlet,

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

and Kermadec Islands may possibly become watching locations in the future when numbers of whales migrating into coastal waters show recovery. Sighting numbers of Southern rights, Humpbacks,

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

s are showing strong increases in recent years.

s, Tohora, 'the most important whale to New Zealand' is very slowly, but steadily making come backs to the nation's waters, and they will possibly become one of the most important species for whale watching as well since they are renowned as a target for non-harmful, land-based watching, and will recolonize the shores of the entire New Zealand to become seasonal residents. (see also Whale Rider, and "real whale riders" sometimes appear for this species). For Southern blue and Pygmy blues, even before the historic discovery of a forging ground off Cape Egmont, whales have been showing come backs along the coasts especially in Northland waters such as off Bay of Islands,

Tutukaka Tutukaka ( mi, Tūtūkākā) is a locality on the east coast of Northland, New Zealand, in an area commonly referred to as the Tutukaka Coast which includes Ngunguru and Matapouri. The city of Whangarei is to the southwest. The residential are ...

, and Kaikōura.

Fin whale The fin whale (''Balaenoptera physalus''), also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale, is a cetacean belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-longest species of cet ...

s and

Sei whale The sei whale ( , ; ''Balaenoptera borealis'') is a baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the fin whale. It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep offshore waters. It avoids polar and tropical ...

s are confirmed in Chatham Rise in good numbers, but less frequently seen in coastal waters. Minke whales can be seen off entire nation especially in Bay of Islands, but due to their small size it is not easy to observe them. Beaked whales are occasionally seen. Of these, most frequently observed species are

Arnoux's beaked whale Arnoux's beaked whale (''Berardius arnuxii''), also called the southern four-toothed whale, southern beaked whale, New Zealand beaked whale, southern giant bottlenose whale and southern porpoise whale is one of the species of '' Berardius''. Arno ...

s (once a group of these had become a regular annual to

Doubtful Sound Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Zea ...

), and

Gray's beaked whale Gray's beaked whale (''Mesoplodon grayi''), sometimes known as Haast's beaked whale, the scamperdown whale, or the southern beaked whale, is one of the better-known members of the genus ''Mesoplodon''. This species is fairly gregarious and strand ...

s. New Zealand's coasts are also renowned as prominent habitats for curious, ray-hunting Orcas. The deep sea canyon off

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

was revealed to be a rich habitat for toothed whales and its significance may be comparable to that of Kaikōura especially for the presences of Shepherd's beaked whales.Elder V.. 2017
Population of whales off Dunedin coast significant, study finds
The Otago Daily Times. Retrieved on 15 May 2017

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em Tourist attractions in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

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