The Great Kaikōura Whale Count

The Great Kaikōura Whale Count To unite the Kaikōura Community in a positive, engaging connection to our local wildlife. Shifts will be: 10 – 12, 12 – 2 and 2 – 4 each day.

This year’s GKWC will run 20 June – 3 July , 2022

We will require observers at the Whale Spotting Station during three shifts each day that the weather permits. Volunteers may sign up for one or more shifts per day. There will be a lead spotter assigned each shift who can lead and assist people who are just getting started. There will then be a calendar produced that shows who has committed to ea

ch shift and who the lead spotters will be. Last year over 100 people volunteered their time overall, 88 humpback whales were spotted from the lookout and dozens of other cetaceans were recorded as well. The GKWC is part of a larger initiative to better understand large whale populations and their behaviour when travelling through the waters off Kaikōura. While the GKWC is based on science, it involves and includes a wide range of individuals, community groups and businesses that contribute to the initiative in a myriad of ways.

26/07/2026
25/07/2026

Don’t forget, all welcome to the Kaikōura Whale Festival tomorrow Sunday July 26 from 10 am - 2 pm ☺️🐋
Let’s celebrate!! 🐳🪼🦈
The Great Kaikōura Whale Count Kaikoura Visitor CentreDolphin Encounter KaikouraKaikoura KayaksFyffe HouseTe Korowai o Te Tai o MarokuraEvents KaikōuraProject Jonah New Zealand

20/07/2026

Who’s ready to celebrate our whales this Sunday….At the Kaikōura Whale Festival 🐋 ✨

📅 Sunday 26 July 2026
⏰ 10am - 2pm
📍 Memorial Hall
The event is FREE & all are welcome!

Come along and:
🐳 Step inside Project Jonah New Zealand life sized Humpback whale & learn all about their biology and why they’re so unique!

🎨 Enjoy ocean-themed arts and crafts

🐋 Meet the DOC Whale Disentanglement Team and hear about their important work helping whales in New Zealand

📊 Hear about The Great Kaikōura Whale Count 2026 results!
How many humpbacks do you think we counted? 👀

Interested in helping out on the day?
Email us at gkwc2026 .com

Project Jonah New Zealand
Kaikōura District Council
Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Department of Conservation
Kaikoura Visitor Centre
Kaikoura NZ

📸 Photo credit: Ashlin Donaldson

12/07/2026

Hi Friends, we hope everyone is excited to celebrate the whales with us in a couple of weeks. Free entry, all welcome, let us know if you'd like to be part of The Great Kaikōura Whale Count 's Whale Festival, July 26 at Memorial Hall 🐋💙

Project Jonah New Zealand Kaikoura Visitor Centre Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura Kaikoura Kayaks Events Kaikōura University of Canterbury Kaikoura NZ

02/07/2026

The Great Kaikōura Whale Count 2026 was a smashing success thanks to our all-star KORI intern Ashlin Donaldson !!!!

Over the month of June she led 23 days of cetacean spotting from the Kaikōura Peninsula, totalling 477 scans!!

In addition to hiking up and down from the spotting hill, entering data each day and coordinating the hundreds of volunteers, she herself spent 116 of the 432 total effort hours scanning our seas for humpback whales and other types of whales and dolphins this year.

We are so proud to have hosted another fabulous intern, together with Kaikoura Kayaks and University of Canterbury.

Want to hear how many whales and different species we saw? Join us at the Memorial Hall on July 26 for the Whale Festival to find out 🐋💙❄️
Kaikoura Visitor Centre Fyffe House Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura Events Kaikōura Department of Conservation Emporium Brewing Kaikoura Museum Seaweek Kaikoura NZ

20/06/2026

‼️ 📣 EVENT POSTPONED

Due to weather we have postponed today’s Whale Festival.

New date: JULY 26th, 10am-2pm @ Memorial Hall.

Stay tuned for more details 🐋💙

Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Fyffe House

19/06/2026

The The Great Kaikōura Whale Count presents..

✨ 🐋 The Kaikōura Whale Festival! 🐋 ✨

Join us for a fun family day out this Sunday, celebrating our whales and oceans!

📅 Sunday 21 June 2026
⏰ 11am - 2pm
📍 Fyffe House
The event is FREE

Come along and:

🎨 Enjoy ocean-themed arts and crafts

🐋 Meet the DOC Whale Disentanglement Team and hear about their important work helping whales in New Zealand

🐳 Hear about the Great Kaikōura Whale Count progress so far

The Great Kaikōura Whale Count shifts will not be going ahead on Sunday… so please join us at the Whale Festival! 💙
Interested in volunteering as a whale spotter another day? Email us at gkwc2026 .com

Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura
Fyffe House
Department of Conservation
Kaikoura Kayaks
Kaikoura NZ
Kaikoura Visitor Centre

12/06/2026

Address

South Bay Domain
Kaikoura
7300

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