NEW ZEALAND // The waters off this postcard-pretty South Island peninsula are an all-you-can-eat buffet for whales, thanks to a current-driven upwelling of deep-sea nutrients. Don your rain jacket and climb aboard a whale-watching vessel to spot - season depending - migrating humpbacks, breaching right whales, bus-sized blue whales, and sleek, grinning orcas. But the big draw is the mighty sperm whale, its bulbous body emerging from the water with surprising grace, immense tail slapping the surface into a froth. They're here year- round, and tours promise 80% chances of sightings. If you're quick with your camera, you'll catch unbeatable shots of whale tails framed against the snowy Kaikoura Range. Also look out for pods of playful dolphins, enormous albatrosses, and piles of sleepy fur seals lazing on the rocky shore.