Where is Kaikoura?

View over Kaikoura

Kaikoura is located at the top of the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. A small township with a population of only 3,000 people, it draws around 900,000 tourists a year because of resident giant sperm whales and up to seven other species of whale which come to feed in the deep waters off the coast.

Angela Pearse spent three days in Kaikoura and had her own up close and personal whale experience.

“Our first sperrrrrm whale coming up ladies and gentlemen!”, shouts Jim our onboard commentator, and general funny man, for the two and a half hour whale watching experience.

Up until now we’ve been motoring at a steady pace from shore but suddenly the boat shoots off, rocking alarmingly up and down on the two metre swell. When checking in with Whale Watch Kaikoura [www.whalewatch.co.nz] there was a sea-sickness warning but I came prepared with my ‘Ease the Quease’ pills which I dutifully took before even setting foot on the boat. I have a weak stomach at the best of times.

A fellow passenger lets the waves get the better of her and throws up gracefully into a complimentary paper bag. I’m sympathetic but with cries of “We’re chasing a whale, ladies and gentlemen,” from Jim, there’s no time to waste being sick.

We all pile over to starboard (“If you’re on the left, you’re on the wrrrronnng side”, drawls Jim). And wait and wait. The captain turns off the motor and we galoop up and down on the swelling sea. Nothing. The whale has already dived and is now feeding somewhere up to three kilometres beneath us. “It could be down there for up to two hours,” says Jim, “We lost that race. But not to worry, the captain is going to listen to see if there are any other whales around”. A handy whale listening device is hastily produced which looks like a long bendy bit of plastic tubing with a funnel duct-taped to the end. The captain listens intently to whale noises which apparently sound like trying to start your car with a flat battery.

Whale watching

We take off again. Jim tells us that all the whales in the area are male as the water is too cold for the breeding females. The females are all (rather cleverly, I think) in the Bahamas. Some of the whales which we will encounter, like Manu, are resident and stay in Kaikoura all year round.

Soon enough we see our first whale, blowing and snorting up ahead. “Our first encounter, ladies and gentlemen, fantastic!” says Jim voicing our enthusiasm for us. But it is thrilling to see a whale close up, it looks like a large floating black log. But we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, the very top of the whale’s head, the rest of the huge mammal is submerged somewhere beneath the waves.

“We don’t know how long he’s been up, he could go at any minute”, says Jim cheerfully, making us grab for our cameras. No pressure, I think. Sure enough the whale lies there for a bit then arches its back taking a last breath. “Cameras ready people”, calls Jim, “He’s about to dive!”. Sure enough the whale ducks down and its tail flicks gracefully up into the air. You could have heard a pin drop (apart
from the clicking of cameras). We are hooked. We want more whales and Jim knows it. We set out on the hunt once again with all of us hanging on for dear life as the boat powers off.

The experienced crew seem easily able to spot the whales from a long distance, and in total we see five sperm whales. But on the way back into shore Jim says he has a surprise treat for us. A sixth whale, a rare Southern Right is in the area.

We all pile outside again as the boat plies patiently up and down the shoreline in search of the whale. “Over to starboard mate”, says one of the crew. After a few seconds a black hump and a tell-tale waterspout emerges on the slate grey horizon. “This whale’s behaviour is slightly different”, Jim tells us. True enough, it doesn’t lie on top of the sea and flick its tail but duck dives smoothly beside the boat as we putt alongside like its anxious child.

We gaze in mesmerised awe until Jim says it’s time to leave the whale to continue feeding. Though I doubt any whales had actually stopped feeding for a minute because of our presence. They probably
never even noticed we were there.

Jim plays us a series of videos on the trip back to shore which show typical whale behaviour, such as tail thumping and jaw clacking. In one of them called ‘The Encounter’ a determined whale tries to make contact with the boat. On second thoughts, I consider, perhaps it is best to leave them feeding in peace.

The Complete Whale-Watching Handbook: A Guide to Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the World

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TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Kaikoura

One Great Reason to Visit Kaikoura

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for an up close and personal experience with majestic sperm whales.

Magic of Kaikoura

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Where is Los Llanos?

Los Llanos Anaconda

Los Llanos, meaning ‘flat plains’ describes the flat, savannah plains of central and south-western Venezuela of the Orinoco Delta. It is a haven for bird and wildlife. There is really only two distinct seasons in this region being the ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ seasons.

The dry season provides excellent bird-watching opportunities. Other wildlife you can expect to see amongst the various ecosystems include the anaconda (the largest snake in the world), crocodiles, capybaras, giant ant-eaters, piranhas and the pink river dolphin.

Explore Los Llanos and Venezuela with a ‘Lonely Planet’ Travel Guide

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One Great Reason to Visit Los Llanos

One great reason to visit Los Llanos is for the safari’s available to view the bird and wildlife in their natural habitats.

Los Llanos

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Where is Tikal?

Tikal National Park

The remnants of the fascinating Mayan civilisation can be marvelled at Tikal National Park, a UNESCO listed site since 1979. Tikal, meaning ‘place of voices’ is now a National Park and located in the northern region of Guatemala and not too far from the border with Belize.

Tikal was the capital of the ancient Mayan civilisation. It is believe that it would not have been its original name but infact the name given shortly after its modern day discovery during the 1840s. Population estimates place the demographic size of the site between 100,000 and 200,000.

The National Park is not only home to archaeological wonders of temples and ruins but also the home to monkeys, parrots, deer, toucans, macaws, ocelots and the rare jaguar.

A highly recommended book by Dr Peter D. Harrison – The Lords of Tikal: Rulers of an Ancient Maya City

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One Great Reason to Visit Tikal

One great reason to visit Tikal is for the spectacular Mayan ruins; remnants of a grand civilisation.

Tikal, Guatemala – The Mayas One of The Most Spectacular Civilizations

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Where is the Amhara Plateau?

Gelada Baboons on the Amhara Plateau

The Amhara Plateau incorporates the ‘Simien National Park’ which is a World Heritage Site and was inscribed by UNESCO during 1978 – one of the first localities to receive inscription.

It is located in northern Ethiopia, 120 km north-east of Gondar. Erosion over the years of the Great Rift Valley, has created an amazing landscape of majestic peaks and deep valleys. Ras Dashen, at a height of 4620m, is the fourth highest peak in Africa.

The Gelada Baboons, Simien fox, Ethiopian wolf and the Walia Ibex (a goat) are found nowhere else in the world. Sadly, these species are diminishing. Consequently, during 1996 the park was added to the UNESCO register as a ‘World Heritage Site in Danger’.

The 5th Edition ‘Ethiopia Bradt Travel Guide Book’ comes highly recommended

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One Great Reason to Visit Amhara Plateau

One great reason to visit the Amhara Plateau and Simien National Park is to watch the fascinating Gelada Baboons negotiate the steep cliff-sides and manage it successfully!

Simien National Park

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