22 Jan 2023
This is truly the best way to see the whales and dolphins and our pilot Daniel made it unforgettable We first earned it is less invasive to view the whales this way as you are really not invading their space. Also, we were happy to see that all the pilots and boats shared their spotting so in a helicopter, you could quickly go to the identified spotting. We were able to watch several different sperm whales for a relatively long time before they dove. A bonus was then seeing several orcas eating what looked to be a 12 foot long swordfish. We also saw several pods of dolphins playfully swimming after a Swim With Dolphins boat. Daniel was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and local history. He then took us on an aerial tour of the coast line and of Kaikoura. He set the heli gently down on top of a steep hill for a spectacular view. Daniel seemed genuinely interested in us and gave us some good recommendations. Its a splurge but so worth it!