Whale Watching Flight in Kaikoura: Experience Majestic Sperm Whales and Scenic Ocean Views

Experience the majesty of Sperm Whales and breathtaking ocean views on a Whale Watching Flight in Kaikoura. Book now for an unforgettable adventure in New Zealand!

Duration: 40 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 627 State Highway 1 - Gather for check-in and a pre-flight briefing about Kaikoura’s whales and other marine life.
  • Depart from the airport to the whale watching area just off the coast to observe Kaikoura’s whales from above.
  • Relish the stunning alpine and coastal scenery before returning to land.
What's Included
  • Live commentary from the pilot via headsets
Additional Information

Experience the world-famous sperm whales and marine life of Kaikōura with an unforgettable Whale Watching Flight. From the sky, enjoy the perfect vantage point to admire these magnificent creatures in their natural environment, fully appreciating their immense size and beauty.
During the journey, there may also be sightings of dolphins, humpback whales,…

Location
627 State Highway 1
State Highway 1
At Kaikoura Airport, 10min drive south of Kaikoura. Turn right on arrival, Free parking. Checkin 30min before your flight. Flight times may be adjusted to align with whale dive times, this may result in earlier departures. If you are not present at the checkin time, the flight may depart without you
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(200 Ratings)
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H3741odjaded
May 8, 2025
Whale watch 🫶 - Excellent service, didn’t see a whale from my side of the plane initially sighting 1 .. got to go on again and saw a sperm whale in the front seat 🫶🫶 was amazing !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
602lubad
May 6, 2025
See the whales from above - Great tour - pilot was great with smooth take off and landing. Staff were all friendly and tour well organized. Small plane and goes around things on both sides so everyone has a good view. Much easier to spot the whales from the air and got to see sperm whale and humpback whale.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denise
Apr 19, 2025
Definitely recommend this trip. - It was an amazing experience and we would highly recommend it. It was cost a bit more than the boat trip but if you suffer with sea sickness it’s definitely worth it. We saw a sperm whale and a pod of dolphins playing. Also I recommend you dress lightly as it gets very warm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawn_d
Apr 6, 2025
Fabulous - Fabulous! Loved this trip. We saw two sperm whales and a humpback whale as well as lots of dolphins. Our original flight time was 11am, but the weather was bad so it was cancelled, but luckily the weather opened up and we managed to re-arrange the flight for 2pm (in the meantime we went to see the Kaikoura seal colony and had lunch in town!). The plane doesn’t fly far out to sea and circles above the whales when the pilot spots one. The pilot also gives a great running commentary. My daughter found the circling made her feel sick, but she suffers with motion sickness on boats and planes anyway! We were out over the sea for nearly 40 minutes and it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Stuartb_12
Apr 2, 2025
Whales spotted late, so pilot extended flight time. - For most of the flight we saw nothing. Then suddenly at the end the pilot spotted 3 blue whales. He extended our flight time so that we could all get a good look -thanks! Amazing sight.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Swindonally
Mar 22, 2025
Highly recommend this experience. - We had a fantastic experience. We saw a whale and the flight was so much fun. We would recommend this experience. The pilot Alex was very good indeed and very informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Garryhowd
Mar 15, 2025
Fantastic experience. - Excellent pilot that communicated well. Certainly, enjoyed the experience. Certainly, gives you a different perspective seeing whales, Orca and dolphins from the air.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ian_b
Mar 12, 2025
Kaikoura Flight over Whales - 😀-nice plane, good value, great staff from check in to pilot, good communication, staff keen to get us in air as sperm whale spotted 🙁-nothing
Review provided by Viator
611leeannb
Mar 11, 2025
Positive whale watching !!! - Great experience. Pilot was so good. Persistence was his game and he found a whale and flew the plane so all sides faced the water to get pictures. Made you feel safe for sure. Loved it and highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joyb418
Mar 11, 2025
Amazing viewings of sperm whale, orcas & dolphins - Incredible trip to see a sperm whale, 5-6 orcas and dolphins too - which we were up there longer! Breathtaking! Not sure how easy it is to see these magnificent creatures from a boat - long way out and no boats in site? Sooo pleased we did this trip from the air!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $120
up to 7 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).