Kaikoura Helicopters — Local services in Kaikōura

We have done the Whale watching by boat but nothing compares to seeing them from the air. We had the most amazing flight. On take off we saw Dolphins in the waves. The trip we took was the Top n Tail. This trip takes you to the top of My Fyffe and the out to see the Whales including views of Kaikoura. When you land on top of Mt Fyffe you get a view out over Kaikoura and from here you can see the North Island & Banks Peninsula when the weathers good. If you do this flight I recommend you book early in the morning before the wind picks up. This makes for a more comfortable flight. On the way down we saw deer running around the hills. Before flying over the township and South Bay out to find the whales. The first Whale we saw was a Sperm Whale and we could see it really clearly followed by another. Then we saw Three Baleen Whales followed by two large Sharks then another Two Baleen Whales. We had just enough time to see two more Baleen Whales before departing. That was Nine Whales in all. On the way back we flew over the Kaikoura heads then around the North side past the North Pier spotting schools of fish before landing. The pilot was very informative and helpful throughout the flight. This trip was an amazing experience and I fully...

All the staff we dealt with both at GCH and Kaikoura Helicopters were delightful, going out of their way to be helpful, friendly, and ensure we had the best possible chance of seeing a whale.

On our flight, Aaron was fantastic, providing friendly and insightful commentary about the local geography and wildlife. Once we spotted the sperm whale we spent several minutes circling taking in the sight of the massive creature before it dived. We just about spotted a humpback whale on the return leg, as well as a couple of pods of dusky dolphins and the resident seals, right before Aaron brought the helicopter in for a silky smooth landing.

Cannot recommend them highly enough, everyone we dealt with was friendly, polite, and professional. We hope to fly with them...

The people here are really friendly and professional, and our pilot for the 50-minute Coastal Whale Watch helicopter flight was just terrific. The Raven II chopper is also a good model for this kind of flight. We managed to see one Sperm Whale and a pod of Dusky Dolphins and got some great views of the Kaikoura Peninsula as well as the nearby coastline and the rebuilt coastal road. All wonderful stuff.

The hilltop landing was a little underwhelming; I suspect because we had recently done landings on the Tasman Glacier and the mountain tops of Fiordland. So, unless you've never done a hilltop helicopter landing before you may want to opt for the 40-minute Extended Whale Watch flight instead which covers the same ground but...