Five people have died in New Zealand after a birdwatching boat capsized, possibly after colliding with a whale.

According to foreign media, the Telegraph reports, 11 people, mostly from the birdwatching group, were on board when the boat capsized on Saturday in Goose Bay near the city of Kaikoura.

Police declined to speculate on what caused the accident, confirming only the collision.

But Craig Mackle, the mayor of Kaikoura, told reporters he believed the boat had struck a whale that was surfacing.

Mackle said conditions in the bay at the time were "perfect" and that officials assumed the whale had appeared beneath the ship, causing it to capsize.

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If the ship had hit debris - such as a log - it would have left a large hole in the 8.5m boat, he added, which was not visible.

"This is a tragic event that touches many lives, not least all the families and loved ones," Mackie said at a news conference.

/Telegraph/