Whale Watching in Kaikoura - Ultimate Experience
Description
Experience the thrill of whale watching from the sky with Wings Over Whales! This unique activity offers unparalleled views of the resident sperm whales, the largest toothed whales in the world. From above, you’ll have the chance to see the full scale of these majestic creatures, offering you epic aerial views of both the whales and the stunning surrounding scenery. Flying over the Kaikoura Whale Sanctuary allows you to cover vast areas, increasing your chances of spotting even more marine wildlife, including dusky dolphins. As the longest-operating aerial whale watching company in Kaikoura, we’re committed to both safety and comfort. Our aircraft meet the highest safety standards, giving you peace of mind while you enjoy the ride. At Wings Over Whales, we provide not only an adventure, but a warm, welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Book your whale watching flight today for a truly unforgettable experience in the skies above Kaikoura!
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can arrange a pick up and drop off service (free of charge) from anywhere in Kaikoura. Please either mention in the booking notes or you can call or email us directly to arrange this.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(202)
Everyone had a window seat and the pilot did a great job of making sure each side of the plane had a chance to see the whales. On our flight we saw a fin whale and then a sperm whale that stayed on the surface for a long time. It's a very different perspective seeing the whales from above .... the pilot gets you quite close. Would recommend this tour.
Wings Over Whales is a great way to see the marine animals off the coast of Kaikoura. We did a 30 minute flight on 17 November, 2025, when the humpbacks were leaving, so no guarantees we would see any. Luckily we saw one humpback and lots of dolphins, plus the amazing scenery of the coast. The pilots are experienced and excellent at their jobs, as well as genuinely nice people. Definitely worth doing.
I would like to rate 5 star. But unfortunately my session cancelled. Reschedule timing at first then cant fly due to weather. So sad i cant reschedule to another day due my trip already packed. The host is good. Refund to me on the spot. No issue. Maybe next time will try again
Excellent experience, Jo our pilot was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained throughout the flight and to top it all we saw whales and dolphins
Fantastic trip. Great pilot who was understanding and accommodating to a couple of very difficult passengers. The flight before us saw a blue whale which sadly we didn’t but it wasn’t for a lack of effort or coordination from the pilot who made sure we saw all we could and had a great experience. Really helpful advice and friendly service. Will definitely use again when back next
The crew at Wings over Whales were very friendly. Because of a delayed ferry we stayed in contact during the day. At the end it worked out perfectly and we were still able to go on a flight. And even beter, saw two whales swim beside each other. Something which is very uncommon the pilot told us.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a lovely review, it's greatly appreciated! Seeing 2 sperm whales together is definitely an uncommon sight - you were very lucky indeed! Feel free to share any photos you may have taken onboard of this rare encounter, we would love to see them! Thanks again for flying with Wings Over Whales Kaikoura.
Booked last minute when we saw the great weather. Booking was a breeze and the team at the office were really on the ball. The pre flight video was really good, both informative and humorous. Jo the pilot was great, her local knowledge was second to none. The flight over the mountains was spectacular. Then off out to sea..by communicating with the boats in the area it seemed like a mater of minutes before Jo had found our whale, and a good few dusky dolphins too. The view of these amazing creatures from the plane was superb. Wonderful memories, and great photos. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Hi there, thank you for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your flight with Jo. Thanks so much for flying with us!
The weather when we woke up was wet and very windy. When we arrived for our flight at Wings over Water, the sun was out intermittently but I was sure I would be too windy to fly. However we were told by our pilot, Alexis, and our co-pilot, Sam, that the wind would be no problem for flying. It WOULD make it very difficult to see whales. They managed our expectations extremely well and they were very empathetic. We decided to try anyway. Although we did not see any whales, the flight was amazingly beautiful. We saw a pod of dusky dolphins frolicking. There must been 100 of them. Alexis is an excellent pilot. She grew up in Kaikoura and pointed out some of the devastation caused by the 2016 earthquake. Despite the high winds, she land the plane beautifully. I highly recommend this adventure.
Hi Robin, we are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your flight with Alexis and Sam. The New Zealand weather does provide it's challenges some days, we always aim to be as honest as we can about the conditions and chances of spotting wildlife. We're happy to hear you enjoyed the incredible views, the dusky dolphins, and Alexis' informative commentary. Thanks for flying with us!
Sadly we were unlucky with the weather and the trip was cancelled. However this is not the reason for the bad rating. The front of house staff were excellent and tried their best to rebook to an alternative time / day. As we were only in Kaikōura for 1 night this didn’t work for us. My grievance however comes from the attitude of the pilot, she did not seem to care less that it was cancelled. We had a very distraught child, whilst I understand safety has to be the number 1 consideration a little understanding that whilst flying in a plane and seeing whales is a daily occurrence for her, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some. There was absolutely no compassion shown, simply a shrug of her shoulders.
Hi there, thank you for leaving a review, we truly appreciate all feedback as it helps us improve our service. We're very sorry to hear that the weather was unfavourable on the day of your visit, and that we could not reschedule your flight due to your limited time in Kaikoura. Our pilots make their decisions based on safety first and foremost, and we're very sorry that this came across as lacking compassion, this was absolutely not our intention. We understand that this is a very special experience for our guests, and acknowledge that cancellations due to weather can be very disappointing. We have passed your feedback onto the team to ensure our communication remains both professional and empathetic in all circumstances. Once again, we truly thank you for your feedback and hope you enjoy the rest of your travels in New Zealand.
What an experience. We booked our flight having failed to get on a boat trip and are so pleased that the boat was full. The flight was really great and Shaun our pilot gave us lots of information. We saw a beautiful sperm whale gliding along who the dived so we saw is majestic tail come out of the water. We then followed a large pod of dolphins for a while. Fantastic
Hi Linda, many thanks for your fantastic review, we're stoked to hear you enjoyed your flight with Sean! Sounds like you had some fantastic sightings. Thanks for flying with us!
