Whale Watch Kaikōura Wows at NZ Tourism Awards 2018 Ceremony

Whale Watch Kaikōura has picked up one of NZ’s most prestigious tourism awards being selected as best NZ Maori Tourism business 2018.

General Manager Whale Watch Kaikōura, Kauahi Ngapora said, “The team is thrilled to receive this award after an extraordinary twenty-two months following a significant event that forced us to immediately review and change the way we operated the business. We had no choice but to evolve and adapt to a new normal that included looking at every aspect of our business when faced with over seventy percent loss of customers not being able to travel to Kaikōura by road. It was a very insightful experience. Despite the challenging period we are now emerging with growth in visitor numbers driven by the team’s committed focus on providing a quality visitor experience and valuing every single customer that has visited Kaikoura. Receiving the award on the team’s behalf was Teri Sonal, a founding and current Trustee and major shareholder of Whale Watch Kaikōura. This award means a lot to us and we’re proud to represent Kaikōura on the New Zealand and international stage. We’re rapt!”

Julie Howden, Acting Mayor Kaikōura District Council said, “What worthy recipients. We’re proud of Whale Watch Kaikōura’s achievement. The leadership, commitment and resilience of the team’s effort to help support the tourism industry (and community) prior to the November 2016 earthquake, during the response, and recovery phase post-earthquake, cannot be undervalued. We’re delighted their contribution to the local economy and wider community has been recognised at the highest level.”

General Manager Destination Kaikōura, Glenn Ormsby said, “What great news to share with the industry here in New Zealand and with our offshore partners and agents. Over the years Whale Watch Kaikōura has been an integral leader in helping establish Kaikōura as a must visit tourism destination. Being recognised by key industry leaders through a rigorous judging process highlights the outstanding operation that Whale Watch Kaikōura is and we’re absolutely delighted for the Board and team.”

 

For more information contact:

Glenn Ormsby, General Manager Destination Kaikōura         Glenn@kaikoura.co.nz 027 547 9036

Kauahi Ngapora, General Manager Whale Watch Kaikōura   Kauahi@whalewatch.co.nz 021 277 8259

 

About Whale Watch® the Company
Whale Watch is a multiple national and international award-winning nature-based tourism company owned and operated by the indigenous Ngāti Kuri people of Kaikōura, a Maori sub-tribe of the South Island’s larger Ngāi Tahu Tribe.

Whale Watch was formed in 1987 at a time when Māori were casualties of Kaikōura’s declining economy. At this time of difficulty, Ngāti Kuri leaders like Bill Solomon believed the local Giant Sperm Whales held the answer to the unemployment problems of the Māori community. They knew their ancestor Paikea had journeyed to a new life in New Zealand on the back of the whale Tohorā. It seemed appropriate for Paikea’s descendants to again ride on the back of the whale to a new life.
And so it proved to be.

The Ngāti Kuri founders of Whale Watch mortgaged their houses to secure a loan to start the business. In the early days passengers travelled aboard a small 6.7m inflatable vessel that carried 8 passengers at a time. In time, the inflatable was replaced by a larger boat with an upper viewing deck until today the Whale Watch fleet numbers four modern catamarans each specifically designed for whale watching. The expansion of the Whale Watch fleet required the building of an entire marina in South Bay. It is from here that all whale watching tours now depart.

Due to the phenomenal success of Whale Watch, Kaikōura is now one of New Zealand’s leading eco-tourism destinations offering a diverse range of exciting marine wildlife encounters. The company has stimulated investment in new accommodation, restaurants and an impressive array of cafes and galleries filled with the work of local artists.

Paikea and Tohorā still form the symbolic centre of Whale Watch. They represent the spiritual bond between the human world and the natural world and speak of the possibilities that reveal themselves when the world of nature is revered rather than exploited.

The Whale Watch® Philosophy
Whale Watch is committed to providing a quality whale watching experience while carefully managing the use of a rare natural resource. We are visitors to the world of the whales and respect it as such at all times. As a Māori-owned company, Whale Watch cherishes the twin values of hospitality to visitors and reverence for the natural world. It is a philosophy that embraces people, the land, the sea and all living things as one.

www.whalewatch.co.nz