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A record 228 humpback whales were sighted off Kaikōura’s coast during the recent Great Kaikōura Whale Count.
The results from the month-long whale count held in June were unveiled during the Kaikōura Whale Festival on Sunday, July 26.
Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) director Dr Jody Weir said the 228 humpback whales were sighted over 23 days of viewing, including 34 sighted in one day on June 22.
It compared to the 201 humpback whales spotted last year.
‘‘This year we had spotters at the hill on 23 days in June for 116 observation hours and 476 scans (whale and dolphin sightings),’’ she said.
‘‘Because we usually had at least a few people spotting, we ended up with 432 volunteer hours.
‘‘We had 88 volunteer spotters this year, all co-ordinated by Ashlin Donaldson, our incredible intern.’’
The volunteers came from 14 different countries and from 10 cities and towns across Aotearoa, she said.
Fin, minke and sperm whales were also sighted, along with thousands of dolphins.
Dr Weir said the annual Great Kaikōura Whale Count, which has been run by KORI since 2020, was in doubt due to a lack of funding.
KORI launched a Givealittle page earlier this year and called for community support.
The Kaikōura District Council was among the organisations which had since got in behind the whale count, alongside the Department of Conservation (DOC), Dolphin Encounter, Kaikōura Kayaks and the University of Canterbury.
Sunday’s Kaikōura Whale Festival was a chance to celebrate yet another successful count and raise awareness of the giants of the ocean, Dr Weir said.
The festival was postponed twice in June due to the weather, while the Kaikōura district was devastated by flooding earlier this month.
‘‘It’s a celebration marking the end of the Great Kaikōura Whale Count, giving the community a chance to come together and have fun, learn and rejoice in the magic of whales,’’ she said.
The star of the event was Project Jonah's enormous, life-sized, walk-through whale.
DOC's whale disentanglement team also attended to give people ‘‘a chance to jump aboard the boat, don helmets and practice freeing inflatables whales from ropes wrapped around their tails’’.
Whale-themed activities, crafts and a paper mache humpback whale kept the 265 visitors entertained, Dr Weir said.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
