
Marine animals in New Zealand
The landscape in New Zealand is beautiful, but what about the animals? There are no large, wild animals on land. The largest land animals you can find will probably be sheep. There are however many different birds in New Zealand, such as the famous Kiwi bird. But it is mainly the marine animals that make New Zealand special. Dolphins, seals, penguins, whales and more. They can all be found in the waters around New Zealand. Read below which animal species live in New Zealand and where you can spot them.
Dolphins
Nine different species of dolphins can be found around New Zealand. Not only the Bottlenose Dolphin, Hector, Maui’s, Dusky and Common Dolphins can be found here, but also the Orca and the Pilot Whale. They are all part of the dolphin family. The Hector dolphin is the smallest dolphin in the world while the Orca is the largest. The Maui dolphin is a subspecie of the Hector dolphin. It is one of the rarest dolphin specie in the world and can only be found on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. New Zealanders love their marine animals and are careful with the environment. That is why they always work with respect for the animals and with as little inconvenience to the environment as possible.
Best places to see and swim with dolphins
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is known as a good place to see marine life. It is even in the top 10 of the best places in the world to swim with dolphins. It is possible to find the Dusky, Hector and Common dolphins here. If you are lucky you can even see Orcas here, but this doesn’t happen very often. You will mainly swim with the Dusky (or dark striped) dolphins, these are very playful and curious animals.
Akaroa
Akaroa is the only place in New Zealand where you can swim with the small Hector dolphins. Of course you can also choose not to swim with them and instead enjoy their sight from the boat. A dolphin tour in Akaroa immediately gives you the chance to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The bay you are going to is surrounded by beautiful mountains and cliffs. In addition to dolphins, you can see penguins, seals and sea birds during a tour.
Tauranga
Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty is another good place to swim with dolphins. Here you will find the common dolphins. Dolphin Blue is one of the companies that organises tours in Tauranga and they do it slightly differently from other companies. At the back of their boat they attached a rope, you will hang onto this while snorkelling. Then the boat will start sailing at a low speed. This makes the dolphins curious so that they will come closer and play around you, a very unique experience!
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is also a good place to see dolphins, the Bottlenose dolphin is the most common here. Unfortunately, it is no longer allowed to swim with the dolphins in this area since August 2019. You can still view them from the boat, but this is only allowed at certain times in the morning and afternoon, so keep this in mind when planning your trip.
Dolphin trips
Seals and sea lions
The following seals and sea lions live around New Zealand:
Leopard Seal
The Leopard Seal mainly lives around Antarctica, but during the fall and winter they move north, sometimes stopping in New Zealand. Some Leopard Seals even stay in the waters around New Zealand for a year or more. In May 2019 the Leopard Seals were declared official residents of New Zealand. This is due to Owha, a leopard seal who has resided in New Zealand since 2012, staying in Dunedin, Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Whangārei. Leopard seals can be spotted in many places in New Zealand, but mainly on the North Island.
Southern elephant seal
The Southern Elephant Seals mainly lives in sub-Antarctic waters around the Campbell and Antipodes Islands. These are New Zealand islands far off the coast. Every now and then the elephant seals come to the coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They can be seen mainly in the Catlins and on Stewart Island.
New Zealand Fur Seal
The New Zealand fur seal is the most common seal species in New Zealand. You can mainly find these seals on the coast of the South Island, for example near Kaikoura and the Catlins. But they also occur off the coast of the North Island near the Bay of Islands. While these seals are mainly located on the coast, they are also known to roam in residents’ backyards.
If you want to see these animals you can do so in: Milford Sound, the Catlins and Otago Peninsula (both near Dunedin), Sinclair Head (near Wellington), Abel Tasman, Akaroa (near Christchurch) and Marlborough sound. You can even swim with the seals in Kaikoura on a tour.
New Zealand Sea Lion
The New Zealand sea lion is one of the rarest sea lion species in the world. As the name suggests, these animals only live around New Zealand. Like the elephant seals, they mainly live in the subantarctic waters around Auckland Island and the Campbell Islands. Sometimes they can be seen off the coast of Stewart Island, the Catlins and in Southland.
Tours to see seals
Penguins
New Zealand has the most penguin species than any other country in the world. Thirteen of the eighteen species have been spotted in New Zealand. Three of these types of penguins breed on the mainland. These are the Little Penguins, the Yellow Eyed Penguins and the Fiordland Crested Penguin. The Yellow-eyed and Fiordland crested penguins are among the rarest penguins in the world, both living only in New Zealand.
The Little Blue Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest penguin species in the world. These penguins come ashore in the evening and at night to spend the night on shore. You can find them in Marlborough Sounds, Akaroa Harbour, Dunedin, Stewart Island and Oamaru. Oamaru is also called “Penguintown” because the little little penguins just walk through the village in the evening. The penguins even regularly walk into the bar! I spent one night in Oamaru, to see these penguins, read about my experience here.
The Yellow-eyed penguin
The Yellow Eyed Penguin is endangered. These penguins are mainly located around Dunedin, in the Otago Peninsula and the Catlins. But they also appear in Oamaru and on Stewart Island.
The Fiordland Crested penguins
The Fiordland crested penguins only live around the South Island of New Zealand. They can be found in the rainforests around Haast (Westcoast), Lake Moeraki (Westcoast), Stewart Island and Fiordland.
Where can you see penguins in New Zealand
The best places to spot these and the other penguins are: The Banks Peninsula (Akaroa), Oamaru, Dunedin, Marlborough Sounds, Stewart Island, Lake Moeraki (Westcoast), Timaru (near Oamaru) and The Catlins . Be careful when looking for these animals. In many places there are special viewing platforms, please use these. This way you give the animals enough space otherwise the penguins do not dare to come ashore.
Whales
Many different species of whales can be found around New Zealand. Almost half of all whale species have been seen in New Zealand. These types of whales include: Blue whale, Humpback whale, Southern right whale, Sperm whale, Bryde’s whale, Sei whale, Antarctic minke whale, etc. Read below where you can find these whales.
Best places to see whales
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is the only place in the world where you can see giant sperm whales on a tour. The sperm whales can be spotted all year round on the coast of Kaikoura. During the winter months (June – August), Humpback whales, Pilot whales, Blue whales and Southern Right whales can also be seen in this area. The best way to do this is with a boat or helicopter tour.
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is located on the east side of the North Island, near Auckland. In this area you have a great chance of seeing whales and that is why there are also organised tours from Auckland. The Sei Whale, Antarctic Minke Whale and Pilot Whale are found here, but during a tour in this area it is also possible to spot dolphins.
Bay of Islands
Whales can also be seen regularly in the Bay of Islands, however there are no tours here. So keep your eyes open when you take a boat trip or go kayaking / canoeing. The Bryde’s whales can be seen here between May and July. You also have the chance to see Pilot Whales, Humpback Whales and Blue Whales.
Bay of Plenty
There are also several whales in the waters around the Bay of Plenty. Whale Island is located off the coast of Whakatane (a place south of Tauranga). Whale Island is a popular spot for divers for its coral and many fish. For the same reason, it is also popular with whales. The Antarctic minke whales and Pilot whales are regularly spotted here. During a tour in this area you also have the chance to see dolphins and seals.
Marlborough Sounds
Whales can also be seen in the Marlborough Sounds, but this is less common. Baleen whales can be seen in June and July. These are a certain type of whales. This includes the Blue Whale and the Humpback Whale. In the Marlborough Sounds you can also see the Killer Whales (Orcas) between October and March, but this is actually a dolphin species.