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| Claire Fontaine and a humpback whale |
Claire Fontaine has accomplished a dream today. She has watched humpack whales on live in Kaikōura on the east coast of the South Island. Claire has enjoyed an amazing cruise by boat along the coast with her friends.
Before arriving to Kaikōura, The Grandma has studied a new lesson of her First Certificate Language Practice manual (Grammar 23).
More information: All, no, none, each, every, either, neither I & II
Kaikoura, in Māori Kaikōura, from Te Ahi Kaikōura a Tama ki te Rangi is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 180 km north of Christchurch.
Kaikoura became the first local authority in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve recognition by the EarthCheck Community Standard.
The town is the governmental seat of the territorial authority of the Kaikoura District, which is politically a part of the Canterbury region.
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| The Grandma walks across Kaikoura Peninsula |
The infrastructure of Kaikoura was heavily damaged in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. The bay and surrounding region was uplifted by as much as 2 metres.
The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby Hikurangi Trench. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry. The name Kaikōura means meal of crayfish and the crayfish industry still plays a role in the economy of the region.
More information: Kaikoura
However Kaikoura has now become a popular tourist destination, mainly for whale watching, the sperm whale watching is perhaps the best and most developed in the world, and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also a large and readily observed colony of southern fur seals at the eastern edge of the town. At low tide, better viewing of the seals can be had as the ocean gives way to a rocky base which is easily navigable by foot for quite some distance.
It is also one of the best reasonably accessible places in the world to see open ocean seabirds such as albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, including the Hutton's shearwater which nests high in Kaikoura mountains. A strategic plan for the future of the Kaikoura coast is being developed by Te Korowai o te Tai o Marokura, the Kaikoura Coastal Guardians.
More information: Lonely Travel
The town has a beautiful setting, as the Seaward Kaikoura mountains, a branch of the Southern Alps, come nearly to the sea at this point on the coast. Because of this, there are many walking tracks up and through the mountains. A common one for tourists is the Mt. Fyffe track, which winds up Mt. Fyffe, and gives a panoramic view of the Kaikoura peninsula from the summit.
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| The Grandma and Claire watch the whales |
Mt. Fyffe owes its name to the first European family to settle in Kaikoura, the Fyffe family. The cottage that they lived in, built in 1842, still stands, and is now a tourist attraction operated by Heritage New Zealand. The construction of the cottage is unusual in that the supporting foundations of the house are made of whalebone.
The humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 m and weigh around 25–30 metric tons. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.
More information: Whale Watch
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km each year. They feed in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth, fasting and living off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net technique.
Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a 1966 moratorium. While stocks have partially recovered to some 80,000 animals worldwide, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and noise pollution continue to impact the species.
More information: New Zealand
Most whale photos you see show whales
in this beautiful blue water. It's almost like space.
Brian Skerry
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