Humpback
The humpback whale is a baleen whale. Adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. Males produce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time.
The Humpback whale is best known for the spectacular images of its tail, taken as it dives underwater after surfacing to breathe. There are at least 80,000 humpbacks worldwide and they are popular with whale watchers.
Southern Right
The Southern Right Whale is also a baleen whale and about 12,000 of them are found throughout the Southern Hemisphere. These were most sought after by whalers as they swam in shallower water and were easy to hunt. Numbers diminished with extensive whaling and a ban was placed on hunting right whales in 1937, leading to the eventual reappearance in waters off New Zealand in the 1960s. They are still listed as an endangered species.
Orca
The Orca is the world’s biggest dolphin. They are sometimes known as Killer Whales or the ‘wolf of the sea’. Their only known predator is man, however there are no reliable reports of Orca ever attacking man.
Sometimes we are lucky enough to see pods of Orca during our Akaroa Harbour Cruises.
