Water activity

Kaikoura: Whale Watching Flight

4.6 / 5

68 reviews

Activity provider: Air Kaikoura
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    Water activity

    Kaikoura: Whale Watching Flight

    Activity provider: Air Kaikoura

    4.6

    68 reviews

    Save up to 25%

    From US$ 103.17 US$ 77.38 per person

    Take to the skies for a unique view on a whale-watching flight in Kaikoura. With a guaranteed window seat, all passengers get great views of the coastline and its marine life below.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
    Reserve now & pay later
    Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
    Duration 1.5 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Live tour guide
    English
    Audio guide included
    English
    Wheelchair accessible
    Small group
    Limited to 7 participants

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Cover large ocean distances to maximize whale-watching opportunities by plane
    • Enjoy spectacular aerial views of sperm whales and dusky dolphins in Kaikoura
    • Take fantastic, unimpeded photos from your guaranteed window seat on the flight
    • Search for playful humpback whales, imposing orcas and mighty blue whales
    • Take in panoramic views of stunning NZ alpine and coastal scenery from the air
    Full description

    Enjoy a panoramic whale-watching flight, with stunning scenic views along the spectacular Kaikoura coastline. Only from the air can you appreciate the huge size of the mighty sperm whale, a frequent visitor to the waters off Kaikoura.

    After a safety briefing and overview of your scenic flight, hop onboard for your whale-watching adventure in the skies. Every passenger gets a guaranteed window seat to enjoy maximum viewing of the ocean and its inhabitants below.

    On your 40-minute whale-watching flight, you may see sperm whales, dusky dolphins, humpback whales, blue whales, orcas, and other marine life. After finding whales enjoy a scenic flight of Kaikoura and the dramatic surrounding scenery, including snow-clad mountain ranges and turquoise ocean reefs. Whales are wild animals and sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, with over 30 years of experience and extensive local knowledge, the activity provider aims to give the best chance of sightings. Honest information on the likelihood of spotting a whale will be provided before the flight.

    Includes
    • 40-minute flight
    • Listening headsets for commentary
    • Window seat for every passenger
    • Hotel pickup and drop-off
    • Tips
    Not suitable for
    • People over 264 lbs (120 kg)

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Meeting point

    When turning into Kaikoura Airport (10 minutes South of the town) make a right towards the black building and hangar.

    Open in Google Maps ⟶
    Important information

    Know before you go

    • The activity requires a minimum of 2 people in order to operate
    • Flights are weather dependent. A full refund will be given if the flight cannot operate due to poor weather conditions
    • Flights will intend to leave at the booked time. However, the activity provider reserves the right to adjust flight times to provide the best chance to spot the whales
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    4.6 /5

    based on 68 reviews

    Review summary

    • Guide
      5/5
    • Transportation
      4.9/5
    • Value for money
      4.7/5

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    Star rating:

    Very competent pilot with nice comments during the flight and made also sure everyone sees everything well. Flew also safely. We luckily saw two sperm whales, one of them diving with iconic fluke dive! And a big pod of c. 200 dusky dolphins who had some crazy athletic jumping individuals who were funny to watch. Would be worth it for the views of the coastline alone. Would absolutely recommend! Of course, perfect stunning weather helped :)

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    March 26, 2023

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

    Helpful?

    One of the best experiences we have booked! So well managed and executed, such fun taking a 40mins flight and to see the sealife from above giving you a great perspective. Highly recommended and great value, we even thought about going twice but ran out of time!!

    February 8, 2023

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Great service and value for money! The pilots were very knowledgeable and experienced. They knew the whales behaviors well and were able to reasonably predict an encounter (given good weather conditions). We saw a humpback whale, chilling and playing with the dolphins!!

    February 1, 2023

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Product ID: 410475

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