Seal Watching
Attractions ▷ Animal Attractions ▷
Seal Watching
NZ Is Genuinely Loaded With Seals
Seals here are not an event, they're just sort of everywhere. The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is probably the most famous spot, and for good reason. If you think something on the beach is a piece of driftwood, it's probably a seal. You can smell them before you see them. The thing that sets Kaikoura apart though is that you can go beyond just watching. Kayaking with them puts you at water level, which is where they're most comfortable and most playful. Anything can happen. The RANKERS promo code gets you a discount on swimming with seals in Kaikoura too, which is a pretty different experience again.
Promo code RANKERS - good deal done!
Know Your Animals
One thing worth knowing: NZ has two different animals showing up at these spots. The common NZ fur seal, which is what you'll see at Kaikoura and Cape Foulwind on the West Coast, tops out around 100kg. The sub-antarctic NZ Sea Lion is a whole other beast, 500kg of cantankerous blubber, and they hang around the Southland coast. Surat Bay and Cannibal Bay down near the Catlins are two of the best Sea Lion spots in the country. Raw, end-of-the-earth locations, and the sea lions are just the bonus.
Otago Throws In Some Extras
The Otago Peninsula and the coast north of Dunedin layers seal watching in with a lot of other wildlife. Sandfly Bay has sea lions on the beach regularly, and up at Shag Point you get seals and penguins sharing the same rocky headland. There are also marine wildlife tours and penguin watching in the area where the RANKERS promo code is worth a look. Up in Golden Bay, Wharariki Beach is my pick for something a bit different, rock pools full of seal pups doing their thing among the caves and arches at low tide.
Seal Watching Locations
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷
Shag Point / Matakaea
Yellow Eyed Penguins and Seal Viewing
4.6 18 reviews
South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷
(Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance Limited)
The OPERA
4.4 61 reviews
North Island ▷ Tairāwhiti Gisborne ▷
South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷
South Island ▷ Kaikoura Region ▷