Apr 7, 2024
A once in a lifetime experience - Because the whale watching boat trip the previous day was canceled due to bad weather, we looked for an alternative. We found this at South Pacific Helicopters.
We had booked the premier flight. The flight where you look for whales and also land on a mountain.
Partly thanks to the help of the great pilot Dan, one of us, who is in a wheelchair, was able to get into the helicopter. This pilot had indicated when booking that he would make sure this was successful no matter what.
Almost immediately after take-off we spotted a large group of dolphins. The search for the whales took about 45 minutes before we discovered a whale. It is very special to see such a large animal from the air. After this we flew to Mount Fyffe at an altitude of 1600 meters for a landing on top of this mountain. It had snowed the night before, which made it even more spectacular.
All in all, a very special excursion that we will always remember.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 10, 2024
Awesome tour! - Daniel, his wife and entire crew provided a welcoming and seamless experience!! The communications were helpful , we felt entirely safe and totally feel as if we got our moneys worth!
Review provided by Viator
Mar 6, 2024
Don’t think twice, just do it! What a truly great holiday experience. - This was possibly the best experience of our whole holiday in NZ. What a special family firm this is. From the moment we entered the office, having just had our boat trip cancelled, Monique was so helpful and friendly. Her husband, Dan, took the trouble to greet each of us individually, by name. The trip itself was totally awesome (we saw two blue whales and then we only landed on top of a mountain!). Put aside the superlatives, I genuinely cannot recommend this firm and this trip highly enough. A massive thank you to Dan and Monique for providing such a brilliant memory.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 6, 2024
First class family business who really care - OMG what can I say about this trip! From the moment of stepping into their Kaikoura office and meeting Monique, I cannot fault them. We were beaked last minute after disappointments at both Franz Josef and on the whale watching boat trip from Kaikoura due to bad weather. With the minimum of fuss Monique had us booked and ready to go on a fabulous trip, Dan was brilliant, welcoming, friendly and informative, making sure we got to see the rare blue whales and taking us on an unforgettable helicopter trip. Thank you all for making our holiday!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 23, 2024
a once in a lifetime experience - Our whale watch tour was cancelled the day before due to rough sea conditions and seeing a Sperm whale was on our bucket list. We found South Pacific Helicopter 1 hr whale watching tour and said what the heck we are here and we definitely want to see these giant whales. I am prone to ait sickness but did fine on this tour and we were rewarded with seeing a Sperm whale on the surface for longer than usual. Daniel our pilot was informative and an excellent pilot. After the whale we went into the Kaikoura mountain range for some beautiful scenery rarely seen. The entire trip was spectacular and well worth the cost. Having previously seen whales from boats, the aerial views give you an entirely different perspective. I highly recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 22, 2024
Once is a must and we will go back - live it big time. - Awesome experience - Very easy guidance, smooth ride and fabulous views Happy to recommend this to everyone it’s a MUST do 🙏
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 11, 2024
Brilliant experience - Brilliant experience from start to finish. The girl in the office when we booked was so friendly & helpful & Daniel, the pilot, gave a personalised service. He genuinely wanted the trip to be a success & was disappointed he couldn't find sperm whales; that's nature for you! Would strongly recommend making a booking if in Kaikoura
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 8, 2024
Incredible experience! - Amazing experience! Wonderful views and opportunity see whales, dolphins, wildlife. Pilot (Daniel) was great. Very committed to ensuring everyone enjoyed the flight and saw what we came for. Would highly recommend if anywhere near Kaikoura!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 27, 2023
Awesome family adventure - We had an amazing trip - seeing sperm whales and dolphins before heading up to the mountains where the scenery was magical. Dan was an awesome pilot, informative and fun! An excellent family experience - the kids loved it! Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 22, 2023
Best Way to see Whales and Dolphins in Kaikoura - This is truly the best way to see the whales and dolphins and our pilot Daniel made it unforgettable We first earned it is less invasive to view the whales this way as you are really not invading their space. Also, we were happy to see that all the pilots and boats shared their spotting so in a helicopter, you could quickly go to the identified spotting. We were able to watch several different sperm whales for a relatively long time before they dove. A bonus was then seeing several orcas eating what looked to be a 12 foot long swordfish. We also saw several pods of dolphins playfully swimming after a Swim With Dolphins boat. Daniel was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and local history. He then took us on an aerial tour of the coast line and of Kaikoura. He set the heli gently down on top of a steep hill for a spectacular view. Daniel seemed genuinely interested in us and gave us some good recommendations. Its a splurge but so worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
