Have you ever considered counting whales as a fun winter activity? The Great Kaikōura Whale Count in New Zealand is looking for volunteers from 27 June to 10 July. The Kaikōura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) started this project in 2020 when travel companies were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The goal of the project is to estimate the number of whales migrating between their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica and their breeding grounds in warmer climates. The count was paused for a year due to lack of funds, but KORI director Dr. Jody Weir confirmed that funding has been secured from the Kaikōura District Council.
Nearly 200 volunteers from across the country assist with the annual count. Over the three years it was conducted, KORI observed an increase in the number of whales, including humpbacks, and a large number of calves. “On the best day in 2022, we counted 40 humpbacks and there were orca, sperm whales and blue whales,” Dr. Weir said.
In May 2020, local tourism operators WhaleWatch and Dolphin Encounter were closed because of Covid, but the whales were still migrating. People who were not working and receiving government subsidies were sent to help, along with tourists who were stuck in the area.
KORI has received a grant from the council to fund some internships, allowing students to help run initiatives, including the whale count. Every day, from 27 June to 10 July, volunteers will be spotting whales at the monitoring station on the Kaikōura Peninsula from 10am to 4pm, weather permitting.
A training session will be held at the Kaikoura Museum on 27 June, and there will be free events to celebrate the whales on Saturday, 29 June, and Sunday, 7 July. For more information, you can contact gkwc2024@gmail.com.
