Whale watching rings bell as New Zealand heavyweight

KAIKOURA, New Zealand A still-growing heavyweight in New Zealand'stourist ring is this relatively tiny town on the South Island'snortheast coast. Its prize-winning entry is a group of 40-ton-plussperm whales who make their home in the deep offshore waters of thePacific.

A visit last month sampled - and thrilled to - the "three-hourmarine adventure" of Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd. The payoff was thesighting and closeup viewing (150 feet away) of a 60-foot whale as itcalmly rolled in the swell, "blowing" about once a minute.

Then, with a flip of its tail fluke, the leviathan sounded fora 40-minute sojourn in the mile-deep water only a mile or sooffshore. I was a second …