Albatross Encounter

Kaikoura has one of the greatest numbers of different types of seabirds within a small area than anywhere along the New Zealand coastline. The list of seabirds below have been sighted off the Kaikoura Coast, mainly in an area from Kaikoura Peninsula south to a distance of 10 miles off the Conway River mouth.

One of the reasons for such a large number of different types of seabirds in Kaikoura is the presence of a deepwater trench (the Kaikoura Canyon), close inshore. Upwellings of cold nutrient rich water over the shallower coastal waters produce and sustain a vibrant food chain supporting a large variety of fish species, marine mammals and seabirds. Click on the links below for more information on each bird species. 

Great Albatross
Five varieties of the great albatross can be seen off Kaikoura; wandering albatross, Antipodean albatross, Gibson's albatross, northern royal albatross and southern royal albatross.

» Black-browed Albatross Black-browed Albatross © Dennis Buurman Photography	Albatross Up to nine varieties of the smaller albatross (sometimes referred to as mollymawks) can be seen in the waters off Kaikoura.
» Bullers Shearwater Bullers Shearwater © Dennis Buurman Photography Seen frequently from March - September	Shearwater Seven varieties; flesh-footed, Buller’s, sooty, short-tailed, fluttering and Hutton's.
» Cape Petrel Cape Petrel © Dennis Buurman Photography	Petrels Fourteen varieties; some of these include Westland, common diving, white-chinned, cape pigeon, southern giant, northern giant and Wilson's storm petrel.
» Fairy Prion Fairy Prion © Dennis Buurman Photography	Prions There are four other species of prions which can be seen off the Kaikoura Coast, but they are very difficult to distinguish between. The chances are that most prions seen off Kaikoura will be fairy prions.
» Little Shag Little Shag © Dennis Buurman Photography Juvenile little shag on rocks at South Bay Kaikoura.	Shag Four varieties including the black, pied, little and spotted.