Discover the best whale watching in NZ with Wings Over Whales in Kaikōura. Enjoy an unforgettable scenic flight and witness majestic whales from a spectacular aerial perspective – a truly unique New Zealand experience.
Join us for an adventure that captures the beauty of Kaikōura from the sky, land, and sea.
Our professional and experienced team deliver a friendly flying experience, where the comfort and safety of each passenger is paramount.
Passengers are able to enjoy their own window seat, and our high-winged aircraft will allow you to have an unobstructed view of Kaikōura’s marine wildlife and majestic scenery.
Due to the nutrient rich waters just off the coast, Kaikōura is home to a huge amount of marine wildlife including sperm whales, dusky dolphins, and more!
We operate from Kaikōura Airport, an 8km drive south from the town centre. Located in an inviting log cabin terminal, customers can enjoy great facilities with on-site gift shop, café and rest room facilities. Enjoy FREE tea, coffee, or hot chocolate with every passenger ticket!
An information and safety briefing will be conducted prior to travel. Please allocate an additional 30 minutes for this, prior to the flight time.
Explore our exciting range of adrenaline-pumping adventures, luxurious culinary experiences, breathtaking scenic tours, and unforgettable whale watching—there’s something for everyone!
Whale Watching Flights
With a year-round Sperm Whale population, Kaikōura is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth for your whale watching experience.
Experience the beauty and wonder of Kaikōura’s marine wildlife from above, with the once in a lifetime whale watching experience. Take in the best views as we slowly orbit around natures largest animals.
We offer unforgettable flights showcasing Kaikōura’s amazing marine life, such as the largest of the toothed whales, the magnificent sperm whales.
New Zealand fur seals, dusky dolphins and visiting whale species such as humpback whales, blue whales, southern right whales, long-finned pilot whales, and orca migrating through may also be sighted.
The wild is closer than you think!
Flight time: 30 minutes.
Check in & safety briefing 30 minutes.
Extended Whale Watching Flight & Mountain Scenic Flight
Our whale watching & scenic tour allows you extra time in the whale area to view the majestic Sperm whale and also gives you the scenic tour of the Kaikōura Seaward mountains and Kaikōura Peninsula.
This flight is a great option for any whale enthusiast who is eager to increase their chances of seeing other species that may be passing through the waters off Kaikoura on any given day.
Take a scenic air tour over Kaikōura’s rocky peninsula, lush farmlands and Seaward Ranges. Kaikōura is a mecca for nature lovers and has some of the most incredible scenery in NZ. Situated on State Highway 1 between Christchurch and Picton, Kaikōura is a stunning coastal town known for its abundance of marine life and epic views. This scenic flight showcases the very best of Kaikōura; from Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Ranges to the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikōura Peninsula, see it all from above. With our high-winged aircraft everyone enjoys unimpeded viewing and photo opportunities at every turn.
Flight time: 45 minutes.
Check in & safety briefing 30 minutes.
Kaikōura Tour Packages
We have teamed up with some of the local operators in Kaikōura to show case what our beautiful Kaikōura has to offer.
Kaikōura Dolphin & Whale Watching Flight
Allow 5 hours. From NZD$375.00pp. Soar above the ocean on our whale watching flight and see everything Kaikōura has to offer from a birds eye view. Then get up close and personal with the dolphins on a dolphin spotting boat cruise. For those with an appetite for excitement, upgrade your tour and join the pod in the water with a dolphin swim.
Wings & Kayaks Combo Tour
Allow 5 hours. From NDZ$410.00pp. Kaikōura is renowned not just for its year-round sperm whales, but also as a bustling migratory and feeding route for various whale and dolphin species. While Wings Over Whales Kaikōura provides a bird’s-eye view of these majestic creatures from high-winged aircraft, Kaikōura Kayaks offers an intimate adventure on water. Paddle through the stunning coastal waters, surrounded by sheer cliff faces, craggy rocks, and breath-taking mountain ranges. As you kayak, you may encounter playful dolphins or curious seals, making it a truly immersive wildlife experience.
Whale Adventurer with Eco Zip Kaikōura
Allow 5 hours. From NZ$459.00pp. Join us, and as a guest of Wings Over Whales and EcoZip, experience two of Kaikōura’s ‘must do’ adventures. In a remarkable day, you’ll head out whale watching in the comfort of a light aircraft and then enjoy EcoZip’s dual zipline, farm exploration and native forest experience.
Kaikōura Helicopter Tours
We also offer helicopter flights with our sister company South Pacific Helicopters.
