Why do whales feed so close to shore?

A deep undersea canyon lies near the coast

Kaikoura Whale Watching Quiz: Sperm Whales and a Deep Canyon

This Kaikoura whale watching quiz heads out from the coastal town where mountains meet a deep sea canyon. Play 10 interactive questions on why sperm whales feed so close to shore, the Kaikoura Canyon, Maori-owned Whale Watch Kaikoura from 1987, dusky dolphins and fur seals, albatrosses, the crayfish behind the town's name and the 2016 earthquake.

Start Kaikoura Whale Watching Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Which country is Kaikoura in?
Whale
Which whale is most often seen at Kaikoura?
Canyon
Why do whales feed so close to shore?
Food
What do sperm whales mainly hunt in the canyon?
Company
Who founded Whale Watch Kaikoura in 1987?
Tail
What do whale watchers hope to see as a sperm whale dives?
Dolphin
Which acrobatic dolphins are common there?
Bird
Which large seabirds glide off Kaikoura?
Name
What does Kaikoura mean in Maori?
Quake
What did the 2016 earthquake do to the coast?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which country is Kaikoura in?
Answer: New Zealand
It is on the South Island's east coast.
Q2: Which whale is most often seen at Kaikoura?
Answer: Sperm whale
Many are young males.
Q3: Why do whales feed so close to shore?
Answer: A deep undersea canyon lies near the coast
Deep water brings rich food.
Q4: What do sperm whales mainly hunt in the canyon?
Answer: Squid and deep-sea fish
They dive for long periods.
Q5: Who founded Whale Watch Kaikoura in 1987?
Answer: Local Maori of Ngati Kuri
It helped revive the town.
Q6: What do whale watchers hope to see as a sperm whale dives?
Answer: Its tail flukes
Each fluke is unique.
Q7: Which acrobatic dolphins are common there?
Answer: Dusky dolphins
They leap and spin.
Q8: Which large seabirds glide off Kaikoura?
Answer: Albatrosses
Several species visit.
Q9: What does Kaikoura mean in Maori?
Answer: Meal of crayfish
Crayfish is still a local food.
Q10: What did the 2016 earthquake do to the coast?
Answer: It lifted the seabed in places
New rock pools appeared.

Where a Deep Canyon Meets the Shore

Kaikoura sits on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, where the Seaward Kaikoura Range rises close to the sea. Just offshore, the Kaikoura Canyon plunges well over 1,000 m, bringing deep, food-rich water close to land.

Sperm whales, mostly young males, hunt squid and deep-sea fish in the canyon year-round. They surface to breathe, then lift their tail flukes as they dive. Whale Watch Kaikoura was founded in 1987 by local Maori of Ngati Kuri and helped turn the town into a wildlife tourism center.

Dusky dolphins leap in big groups, fur seals rest on the rocks and albatrosses glide over the waves. The name Kaikoura means meal of crayfish, and crayfish is still sold at roadside stalls. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 2016 lifted parts of the coast and seabed out of the water.

What This Quiz Teaches

Marine life fans will enjoy these questions.

Why whales come close
What they eat
Who runs the tours
Which other animals appear
How the quake changed the coast

Did You Know?

Scenic flights spot whales from above.
Seal pups play in a nearby stream.
Tours may cancel in rough seas.
Snow caps the mountains in winter.
Hector's dolphins are sometimes seen.