Sperm whale begins1000m dive as an albatross flies by, Kaikoura, NZ
The scenery from the interisland ferry as you approach Picton, South Island from Wellington is just stunning. The sea is crystal clear, the mountains pristine, and better still there is little evidence of human activity. On the eastern side some of the forests are managed for logging but they still look great.
Seal nursery
We had to make a toss up between going to the Abel Tasman peninsula or driving down to Kaikoura. We took the second choice and passed empty scenery , the Marlborough vineyards ( without stopping!) and empty coastlines to reach the peninsula of Kaikoura. Kaikoura seems to be an attachment to the main island, but has one big advantage going for it – wildlife. There is an amazing seal colony just off the road at Ohau Point a few miles from the town. It is a breeding ground with nurseries for baby seals as they learn to hunt.
Seal snoozing
This morning we took a long walk around the headland and there are seals and sea birds everywhere. This is also the home for the wandering albatross with a wing span of 3 meters. The sea is rich in birds and large seaweed implying a healthy ecosystem. Lobster and crayfish are on sale in all the restaurants. Last night we bought a crayfish from a local outlet and it was fantastic.
Today was whale watching day – which I was fearing could be a disaster as the clouds had come down and the wind had got up. Our trip was booked for 3 pm and miraclulously everything calmed despite Anna taking a sea sickness pill.
Blowing air
Off shore from Kaikoura there is a deep water trench where the sea bed drops over a thousand meters and this is the home for a group of Sperm Whales who feed on Giant Squid, sharks and deep fish. The trip was magic. I have never seen whales up close like this and to see this most elusive of whales was great.
gathering strength
Sperm whales spend just 10 minutes on the surface to load up oxygen and to rest before plunging up to 3000 meters down into the dark depths of the ocean to feed on Squid, and large fish and sharks. No-one has ever seen them hunting because no submarine or diver could ever travel down with them. Many of the them have scars from battles with squid and sharks. All the sperm whales here in New Zealand are males biding their time until they get large enough to join the females for breeding.
Diving deep
The females and babies live in the tropics. Each famale just has one pregnancy every 5 years and they reject males which are not large enough. All this doesn’t seem to bother the young males who seem to spend 90% of their lives deep deep down in black oceans. Their eyes are their ears as to see the ocean floor and prey they depend on a high powered sonar system. The noise they emit is 200 decibels which can stun a diver swimming too close.
Fresh crayfish
The fish food in New Zealand is outstanding. The mussels are huge. In Kaikoura, it seems that lobster and crayfish are the things to eat. We bought a fresh crayfish from a caravan just outside our motel and it was fantastic. I paid about 20 quid (25 euro) – easily enough for two people.
