Whale watching in New Zealand

Whale watching in New Zealand is predominantly centered around the areas of Kaikoura and the Hauraki Gulf. Known as the 'whale capital', Kaikoura is a world-famous whale watching site, in particular for sperm whales which is currently the most abundant of large whales in New Zealand waters. The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (just outside Auckland city) is also a significant whale watching area with a resident population of Bryde's Whales commonly viewed alongside other cetaceans Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and Orca. 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.

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 whales in 1935, it was not until 1978 that all marine mammals were protected by law. Kaikoura'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 (with help of Japan) in the 1970s, recovery state of baleen whales migrating to New Zealand coasts were heavily slowed down, far worse than in Australian waters, and this contributed to make public images that Kaikoura 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.

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