South Bay Whaling Station, Kaikoura, New Zealand.
Posted by: greysman
S 42° 25.559 E 173° 40.926
59G E 720644 N 5299440
The last visible remnants of the Whaling Industry in Kaikoura's South Bay are preserved in this enclosure.
Waymark Code: WMB1Q0
Location: New Zealand
Date Posted: 03/24/2011
Views: 10
The small enclosure here just to the south of the modern port and marina at South Bay, Kaikoura, contain the only remaining visible signs of what was a major industry in the area for much of the 19th century.
The adjacent information board tells the story:
SHORE BASED WHALING 1843 - 1922.
The Kaikoura whaling industry
began at Waiopuka on the north
side of the Kaikoura peninsula in
1842-43. On the southern side of
the peninsula, Wade and
Fitzgerald began whaling here at
Moa Point (Te Hiku o te Waeroa)
in 1844. The whaling station
passed through several owners
and stages of development; the
oar-powered longboats, hand-held
harpoons and trypots of the early
days gave way to motorised
chasers, harpoon guns and the
whale processing factory that
stood here. Whaling at Kaikoura
ceased in 1922 with the closure of
this factory.
The information board also shows some early photographs, A Right Whale caught at South Bay in 1903; A catch by J.Johnson's party, and two views of the whaling factory from 1917. There is also a plan of the visible ruins, the concrete Water Tank being the most visible, just to the right of the info board. Other easily visible remains are the concrete Blubber pit and Effluent Channel
For an overview of whaling around New Zealand see: Whaling history