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    Wings Over Whales

    230 Reviews
    #4 of 28 Tours in Kaikoura
    Features Animals
    Dolphin & Whale Watching, Nature & Wildlife Tours, Outdoor Activities, Boat Tours & Water Sports, Tours, More
    Kaikoura Airport | 617 State Highway 1, Kaikoura 7340, New Zealand
    +64 3-319 6580
    Website
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    Review Highlights
    “Amazing experience ”

    From arrival we were impressed with the great customer service, they looked after us very well. We... read more

    Reviewed 1 week ago
    MrandMrsAckworth
    ,
    West Yorkshire, England
    via mobile
    “Great experience”

    Heading towards Kaikoura only to find boat was fully booked .... then spotted WingsOverWhales so... read more

    Reviewed 3 weeks ago
    Dylan M
    via mobile
    Read all 230 reviews
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    Adventure through the skies and experience the true magic of Kaikoura. Wings Over Whales are a Qualmark endorsed visitor activity providing whale watching flights, scenic air tours and point to point private aircraft charter. The focus at Wings Over Whales is to deliver a friendly, high quality, boutique experience to all customers where the comfort and safety of each passenger is paramount. The company operate two aircraft; a 4-seater Cessna 172 as well as an 8-seater Gippsland Airvan. Both planes are high-winged allowing each passenger their own window seat and unobstructed views of Kaikoura’s marine wild life and majestic scenery. Wings Over Whales are situated at Kaikoura Airport, an 8km drive south from the town centre. Located in an inviting log cabin terminal, customers can enjoy great facilities with on-site gift shop, cafe and rest room facilities. In typical 30 minute flight you will see the majestic Sperm Whale preparing for his next dive and up to 500 Dusky Dolphins playfully swimming. Occasional sightings include Southern Right, Humpback, Fin, Sei, Brydes, Pilot, Southern Bottlenose and Blue Whales. Other, less frequent visitors to the area include Southern Right Whale, Orca and the endangered blue whale

    About Wings Over Whales

    Adventure through the skies and experience the true magic of Kaikoura. Wings Over Whales are a Qualmark endorsed visitor activity providing whale watching flights, scenic air tours and point to point private aircraft charter. The focus at Wings Over Whales is to deliver a friendly, high quality, boutique experience to all customers where the comfort and safety of each passenger is paramount. The company operate two aircraft; a 4-seater Cessna 172 as well as an 8-seater Gippsland Airvan. Both planes are high-winged allowing each passenger their own window seat and unobstructed views of Kaikoura’s marine wild life and majestic scenery. Wings Over Whales are situated at Kaikoura Airport, an 8km drive south from the town centre. Located in an inviting log cabin terminal, customers can enjoy great facilities with on-site gift shop, cafe and rest room facilities. In typical 30 minute flight you will see the majestic Sperm Whale preparing for his next dive and up to 500 Dusky Dolphins playfully swimming. Occasional sightings include Southern Right, Humpback, Fin, Sei, Brydes, Pilot, Southern Bottlenose and Blue Whales. Other, less frequent visitors to the area include Southern Right Whale, Orca and the endangered blue whale
    4.5
    230 reviews
    • Excellent83%
    • Very good13%
    • Average1%
    • Poor2%
    • Terrible1%
    Travellers talk about
    “wings” (65 reviews)
    “pre flight” (8 reviews)
    “window seat” (8 reviews)
    Open Now
    All hours
    Hours Today: 08:00 - 17:00
    Suggested Duration: < 1 hour
    LOCATION
    Kaikoura Airport | 617 State Highway 1, Kaikoura 7340, New Zealand
    CONTACT
    Website
    +64 3-319 6580
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    Reviews (230)
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    1 - 10 of 204 reviews

    Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile
    Amazing experience

    From arrival we were impressed with the great customer service, they looked after us very well. We had our briefing then Edward our pilot took us up in the plane, I have to say it was a lot smoother than I expected. We circled for...More

    3  Thank MrandMrsAckworth
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile
    Great experience

    Heading towards Kaikoura only to find boat was fully booked .... then spotted WingsOverWhales so booked in and very glad we did. Staff were friendly and the pilot was great! Very informative and enthusiastic briefing and presentation. Nice plane, everyone gets a window seat! We...More

    3  Thank Dylan M
    Reviewed 4 weeks ago
    The Ultimate Perspective

    Having previously done whale watching from a boat and enjoyed it, I decided this time that the more unique opportunity to view whales from the air appealed to me more. I wasn't disappointed. From booking to landing, the service and experience was spot on. We...More

    4  Thank aclarry25
    Reviewed 16 August 2017 via mobile
    Excellent service

    I had an excellent experience with wings over whales. Excellent customer service and Anthony my pilot is very professional. A must for your kaikoura visit.

    4  Thank czeno
    Reviewed 9 August 2017 via mobile
    Spectacular flight

    A truly unforgettable experience! We were collected from Blenheim airport by the Wings Over Whales team in a very tidy, new plane. They had the care to organise a booster seat and child headphones for my five year old - in hot pink, no less,...More

    4  Thank emily g
    Reviewed 23 July 2017 via mobile
    Whales!

    We booked this tour after the boat trips were cancelled for the day due to the recent storm and the rough seas. We are glad we did as just 7 minutes after taking off we saw our first of two sperm whales. Our pilot Jesse...More

    4  Thank martin b
    A TripAdvisor Member
    15
    Reviewed 12 July 2017 via mobile
    Good fun!

    Me (18) and my friend (19) had a great time watching the whales from above. We saw different types of whales and a huge dolphin group. It was amazing and so much fun. The check-in was super easy and the intro before the flight was...More

    5  Thank A TripAdvisor Member
    Reviewed 11 July 2017
    This is well worth an afternoon!

    They give you a "school room" lesson on whales and other thing in the sea, then you take off and circle the most common areas for sightings. Be aware you do not always see anything as it is at natures good pleasure. We saw no...More

    2  Thank pkmcallen
    Reviewed 7 July 2017 via mobile
    AMAZING

    Just an amazing experience, with an amazing pilot. The view is beautiful, and the flight give good feelings ! 👍

    3  Thank Steven J
    Reviewed 5 July 2017 via mobile
    Grateful I did this

    What an experience. Great value for memories I'll never forget! Totally worth it. Not one single thing I could complain about. Seeing the whales (2 types wer spotted) in full from above is a unique way of doing it indeed. I hope to return with...More

    5  Thank crisdosk
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    Ask a question
    Questions & Answers
    Anuja S
    10 October 2016|
    AnswerShow all 4 answers
    Response from Janlyn-60 | Reviewed this property |
    Boat gives you a closer encounter, but plane lets you see more area and greater chance of seeing whales and dolphins. I would base my decision on the time of season I was visiting.
    1
    Vote
    Jobeale
    19 October 2015|
    Answer
    Response from Wings0verWhales | Property representative |
    Hello, Thank you for your enquiry. We often have babies and toddlers on our flights and they fly with no problems at all- in fact they usually drop off to sleep! We can provide a set of ear muffs to protect little ears but... More
    1
    Vote