It is with much relief we share the news that five sperm whales have been sighted by Whale Watch Kaikoura just six days after the 7.8 magnitude earthquakes that impacted Kaikoura and surrounds heavily. Whilst Whale Watch are currently closed for business, a short press release on their website shows their evident joy at the whales’ return to the area:
‘One great update that we have to share is that yesterday (20th November) we were able to take out one of our vessels to see if we were able to locate sperm whales in the area – we cannot even begin to describe the relief and shouts of joy when we sighted our first whale. We ended up seeing 5 sperm whales along with seals, dolphins and sea birds – Kaikoura is still a marine mecca!’
Many Maori tribes have a strong cultural connection to whales and in Maori cosmology whales are descendants of Tangaroa – the god of the oceans. They are often deemed sacred or tapu.
As the people of New Zealand continue to show their true Kiwi nature by supporting each another and coming together as one country-wide community, the return of their whales is a much-needed cultural and spiritual boost for all.
If you would like to support the families worst affected by the earthquakes, you can donate to the New Zealand Red Cross appeal here.
