Kaikoura
With its resident Sperm Whales, Fur Seal colony, Dolphin pods, and Albatross, Kaikoura is the hub of marine-life ecotourism in New Zealand. It's relatively close proximity to Blenheim was a lead factor in deciding to live in Blenheim. However, easy access to this marine wonderland would need to wait until 2018, as a major earthquake in November 2016 had made the most direct route completely impassible. The road reopened for limited hours in December of 2017 and we soon were able to go down to see the wildlife.
First on our list was swimming with the fur seals. This opportunity had just recently reopened as the shift in the seabed and additional silt created from the Earthquake had made viewing the seals nearly impossible. We lucked out with a good visibility, a group of curious juvenile seals, and grandparents in town to help with the logistics of keeping four kids content out on the ocean.
Jack and I returned on a nice calm winter day to go on the Kaikoura Whale Watch. Although there are several species of whales that visit Kaikoura, we were most likely to encounter Sperm Whales. Kaikoura is one of the few places in the world where sperm whales congregate so close to shore. They gather due to the 3km deep Kaikoura Canyon running right up against the coast creating a rich year-round food supply.
Once we had reached the canyon it takes a bit of luck and some searching to find the whales. The use of a hydrophone, marine reports from fisherman and visual sightings of spouting were all used to hone in on them. Sperm whales follow the cycle of breathing for 5 - 10 minutes at the surface before diving down to hunt for 45-60 minutes at a time. We spotted six whales and were able to observe them during their surface time. They would continually breathe in and out and spout about every 15 seconds before diving down.
Getting the perfect whale tail photo was easier than remembering to take off the lens cap. The whales would do a full body stretch before diving, to alert you to their intentions. You could basically hear the boat countdown before they would slip into the ocean. All you had to do was point and click away. Now framing it with the snow-capped mountains in the background, that professional level stuff.
The whale watch tour also provided an opportunity to see many of the seabirds that call Kaikoura home. Several different species of albatross, petrels, shearwater, shags, and penguins can be found feeding in these waters.
It is great to see Kaikoura returning to the bustling tourist focused town it was before being cut off from visitors due to the earthquake damage. The museum has an excellent display highlighting the fateful night, rescue efforts and the ongoing recovery work. One does not have to travel far to see the exposed seabed and ongoing construction to get a sense of the immense geologic forces that isolated this community.
The extent of the earthquake damage and work to be done to the roads leading into Kaikoura is difficult to adequately describe with words. Here is some drone footage after the earthquake and a year later after extensive recovery work.
Breakfast with the crew.
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