Motuara Island

Motuara island is a magical little place in the Queen Charlotte Sound, right at the edge of the Cook Strait. The lookout at the top provides spectacular views of the over the Sounds, and often all the way to the North Island. It's also a life raft for a variety of endangered birds (and other New Zealand wildlife) that have been released onto the island to save them from extinction.

Yellow-crowned parakeet

South Island robin

Saddleback - almost like a ghost in the forest

Grey warbler

New Zealand wood pigeon/kereru

New Zealand fur seal

Silvereye

Juvenile bellbird

Views out the the outer Queen Charlotte Sound

New Zealand wildlife part 2

A few more animal species I photographed during a short visit in New Zealand: 

Blackbird (Turdus merula) at sunrise

Pied shag (Phalacrocorax varius) in nest-building mode

Variable oystercatcher (Haematopus unicolor)

New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri)

Some of the marine life in Kaikoura, New Zealand

Kaikoura is a  great place to see male sperm whales that seek out the deep waters of the Kaikoura canyon to feed. It was these sperm whales that captivated me and led me to work in this area for a few years. However, there is a lot more than just sperm whales to see in this region. During one year I was incredibly lucky to see a rare and endangered southern right whale. I also encountered humpback whales that migrate through the region in the winter, one blue whale, plenty of dusky dolphins, some rare Hector's dolphins and even orcas on a few occasions. Kaikoura is also one of the best places in the world to see oceanic birds, such as albatross and petrels, off the mainland. In 2010 I left this beautiful area to see more of the world and explore the marine life that other places also have to offer. However, Kaikoura will always have a special place in my heart. 

Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis)

Juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) upside down lobtailing

Hector's dolphin (Cephalorynchus hectori)

A big male New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) drying in the sun 

A sperm whale diving close to one of the Whale Watch Kaikoura boats

Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanol)

The Kaikoura peninsula