Last month I was lucky enough to relive one of the greatest experiences of my life: whale watching in New Zealand. My partner and I spent the trip of a lifetime driving around the North and South Island, a month we haven’t stopped reliving just yet. Almost 10 years ago, I lived in New Zealand for a short while and so had visited the whale capital of the country, Kaikōura, once before. Here I witnessed sperm whales, dolphins, and even an albatross, and so special was the experience to me that I was adamant we return. This time, I also decided to try my luck in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana as well, another coastal park teeming with marine life, with some recognisable species and others native to Aotearoa.
As anyone who has been to New Zealand will know, the level of respect shown to the natural world, while not perfect, far exceeds that of many countries. This gives way to frequent encounters with the unique birdlife here, opportunites to see rescued penguins and kiwis, and sightings of Bryde’s whales, a critically endangered species in New Zealand.
Moments spent in the company of these incredible animals were some of the best from our trip and so I’d love to share a few of the photos I managed to capture. I hope you enjoy them.
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Amie 🐋
Nice photos, and I loved the video at the end!
Love the photos. I went to Kaikoura 15 years ago and had a great experience whale-watching.