Clarke Gayford and the seas of Kaikōura

Kaikōura beach, looking back to the Kaikōura Ranges. Photo / Mike Bhana

An almost unspoken part of being Kiwi is that from a young age we convince ourselves we are a small forgotten country, tucked away here in this quiet part of the world.

A mantra that couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to describing our territorial waters, with our exclusive economic zone, that is the ring 200 nautical miles around us, being ranked as one of the largest in the world.

When it comes to oceans, we are an international heavyweight. In Aotearoa where we have more coastline than mainland China, we have this wonderful chunk of significant continental shelf that oozes out from the edge of our coasts. Nearly everywhere this underwater layer of crust extends many miles offshore before dropping sharply away into the abyss of open ocean, thousands of metres deep.

Nearly everywhere that is, except for a place whose name translates as "to eat crayfish" or as we know it – Kaikōura. Here the shelf angles in as a pinch-point coming dangerously close to land. Although this all might sound like an abstract paragraph on geography to eat up my word count, let me make the argument that Kaikōura's place in the world is because of this very feature.

Kaikōura is home to 18 of the world's 25 species of albatross. Photo / Mike Bhana

Of course, early Māori and intergenerational fisher men and women have long known of these attributes. The rich upwellings from deep to shallow, through vast underwater canyons almost as deep as the mountain ranges of Kaikoura are high, provide a food source for life both below and above the water.

This contrast of depths makes it the perfect restaurant for sperm whales, who are present all 12 months of the year, gifting Kaikōura the most reliable place in the world to see them. Water pushes nutrients up from more than 1000m deep, also creating the perfect environment for dusky dolphins. As night hunters, during the day the large pods of duskys sleep, play and socialise on the surface, making it an ideal place to experience them up close as well.

Above the water and it's a seabird free-for-all, pecking order firmly established by size and reputation. Basically, the natural order of scavenging priority goes like this; albatross, then giant petrel, shearwater then cape pigeon. But break down species, and in just albatross alone, Kaikōura is known to accommodate 18 of the world's 25 types. When it comes to seabirds, New Zealand is also an international heavy hitter and this place is a real focal point.

Dusky dophins off Kaikōura. Photo / Mike Bhana

Now the reason I've highlighted whales, dolphins and seabirds, which are all prevalent and just a short boat ride away, is that all three have been developed into tourist activities in their own right. Activities that have really helped put Kaikōura firmly on the travel map.

Not just a flash in the pan either - whale- and dolphin-watching and swimming charters have been operating for more than 30 years. The longevity of each, a key indicator to the quality of experience. For birders, you can take specific seabird watching trips, and for the really adventurous, even a seal swim excursion has been more recently developed. All sustainable activities that hit my own mantra of finding positive ways to connect people to the sea so that they will care more about the ocean, going into our future. The trips on offer really are a fantastic family adventure; for the sea-wary there are even small plane and helicopter tours to get you out there as well.

Kaikōura Dolphin Encounter. Photo / Mike Bhana

Whereas prior to Covid, 85 per cent of Whale Watch Kaikōura's passengers were foreign tourists, they and the others have been hit particularly hard not only by the pandemic but also the 2016 earthquake, so severe it lifted the seabed more than 2m in places, destroying houses and roads as it shook things up.

Locally, there are efforts to attract more Kiwi tourists to the town, including Whale Watch Kaikōura offering free trips for under-15s for every full-fare adult, an offer that will extend right through these coming Christmas holidays.

I've barely scratched the surface of what this area with a tight local community has on offer, perhaps I'll save the best places to eat for next week.

Clarke Gayford is the host of Fish of the Day, tonight, 5.25pm on Three.