Bubbles erupting from Kaikoura coastline is something of extreme scientific value - as well as being enchanting and beautiful, says scientist Matthew Hughes.

The appearance of some strange bubbles coming from the seabed around Kaikoura could signal a new tourist attraction for the quake-stricken region, a lecturer in geohazards says.

Conner Stapley and his boss Matt Foy, owner of Kaikoura Kayaks, said the bubbles appeared at Whaler's Bay, around the Kaikoura peninsula, after last Monday's quake.

"They run for about 100 metres across Whaler's Bay," said Foy.

"It's certainly attracting a lot of interest."

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Stapley said the bubbles "definitely weren't there before" and has named the area Hope Springs after his nine-year-old daughter.

One of those interested is Dr Matthew Hughes, a lecturer in geohazard risk and resilience from the University of Canterbury.

Hughes flew into Kaikoura on Tuesday and Stuff joined him for a tour with Kaikoura Kayaks first thing on Wednesday to check out the natural phenomenon, as dolphins and seals played around their boat.

Hughes said last Monday's quake had started inland but rapidly propagated out to sea, producing the "outgassing" from new ruptures on the sea bed.

Bubbles rising from an undersea vent is an intriguing post-quake phenomenon in Kaikoura.

The bubbles were likely due to a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide released through cracks in the sea floor caused by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake last week.

"This is absolutely amazing and very precious both scientifically and as a potential visitor attraction for Kaikoura. I think the area will now need some sort of protection and it's great kayakers found it first."

He would be bringing in scientific colleagues to analysis the gas and for further study. Scientists would be excited by the phenomenon, he said.

"It's a real privilege to be the first scientist to see it," he said.

The bubbles are giving off a smell like the hot pools in Rotorua but the water did not appear to be any warmer than the surrounding sea.

Hughes said it was impossible to say how long the bubbling would last.

"If activity persists I'll be keen to bring students and scientific colleagues to have a look in future years."

Hughes said this was an important find which needed to be managed and protected, potentially as a scientific heritage site.

"It is quite a magical, precious thing to see," he said.

Scientific research was yet to be carried out and until such time it was difficult to speculate on the exact components of the gasses, or the depth at which they were being released.

The bubbles were likely to contain naturally occurring carbon dioxide, as well as hydrogen sulphide which would account for the smell, common in volcanic and geothermal areas such as Rotorua, Hughes said.

He did not know if the phenomenon would persist.

Foy, who set up Kaikoura Kayaks in 1998, said he was feeling buoyed by the potential new attraction for Kaikoura after what had been a horror 10 days for the town's tourism industry.

The expedition took the Stuff crew from South Bay to the other side of the Kaikoura peninsula where a check of Spaniards Bay did not reveal any further bubbles.

However, the dramatic rise in the sea around the coast was apparent. Kelp that had been permanently underwater was now rotting.