Whale & Wildlife Report | August 3-9, 2025

Written By Hawaiian Adventures
whales hawaii kona

PC: Olivia Miller

Highlights

  • Melon-Headed Whales 

  • Longman’s Beaked Whales

  • Short-Finned Pilot Whales 

  • Fraser’s Dolphins

  • Bottlenose Dolphins 

  • Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins

  • Reef Manta Rays

Whale & Wildlife Report | August 3-9, 2025

We had an amazing variety of year-round species this week on our dolphin/whale watch tours. Our briefest encounter was also our most exciting… a pod of Longman’s beaked whales! One of the rarest species in the world and mostly likely a once in a lifetime encounter for us! The pod dove quickly but many of our guests saw them before we even did. We are still in awe of this bucket-list sighting!

whale hawaii kona

PC: Olivia Miller

Offshore we spotted another cool whale, melon-headed whales! This pod was on the move and charging through the waves. Once we got on scene, the group had slowed and were logging at the surface. Some whales were being super social, and spy hopping and rolling around. We also spotted some Fraser’s dolphins in the mix!

dolphin hawaii kona

PC: Andrew Aggergaard

After taking a look at one of the FADS and seeing a couple tuna, we found a nice pod of short-finned pilot whales. They were super spread out, so we bounced around to get looks at different singles and pairs throughout the encounter. These whales live in groups composed of close family relatives, and as highly-social whales, they’re so much fun to watch!

wildlife kona hawaii

PC: Olivia Miller

We enjoyed watching two of our more common dolphin species; bottlenose dolphins and Hawaiian spinner dolphins. The bottlenose took the cake this week with an energetic pod of around 10. They spent the entire encounter rolling around under the bow and making eye contact with our guests! These intelligent animals will always be a highlight.

Upcoming Tours

Tuesday (8/12)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch & 7 PM Night Manta Snorkel  

Thursday (8/14)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch

Sunday(8/17)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch 

Interested in experiencing our tours?

Hawaiian Adventure’s tours provide the best opportunity to explore Kona’s coast and the wildlife beneath the waves. Our top-notch vessels, experienced crew, and oceanic expertise will make your Big Island adventure unforgettable.

If you’ve been on other tours, you’ll appreciate the Hawaiian Adventures difference.

Hawaiian Adventures
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Whale & Wildlife Report | July 27- August 2, 2025