Premiere
Whale Rider premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002.
Theatrical release
Whale Rider was theatrically released in 2003 in New Zealand and Germany.
Home media
Whale Rider was released on DVD and VHS on 28 October 2004 by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.
Shout! Factory released a 15th anniversary Blu-ray of Whale Rider on their Shout! Select imprint on 22 August 2017.