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Risso’s Dolphins
April 19, 2024
Risso's Dolphins Documented In Kona!
Hawaiian Adventures Kona has seen some wild species offshore…a fin whale, mola molas, and even a humpback whale in July, but this was their first encounter with Risso’s dolphins! Risso’s dolphins are the fourth largest dolphin in Hawaiian waters, and are distinguishable by their unique coloration and large dorsal fin. Species like Hawaiian spinner dolphins and bottlenose are frequently seen, but Risso’s are a rare find as they prefer Kona’s deeper waters.
Hawaiian Adventures Kona was out on their year-round dolphin and whale watching tour when they had this unique encounter! In about 9000 ft of water they spotted the pod and cruised along with the group, snapping photos of the rare sighting! Captain Andrew Aggergaard, Naturalist Olivia Miller, and their guests onboard were thrilled to view and document this incredible species.
An amazing variety of marine life can be found in Kona’s deep waters. From pilot whales and sperm whales to rough-toothed dolphins and Risso’s dolphins, you never know what you’ll find when you explore offshore. As one of the first companies to offer year-round dolphin and whale watching on the Big Island, Hawaiian Adventures Kona can’t wait to see what they’ll encounter on their next adventure!
Humpbacks and Pilot Whales
January 24, 2023
Humpback and Group of Pilot Whales Socialize Offshore
On January 24th, our 11 AM whale watch had a wild encounter! A juvenile humpback and a group of pilot whales were socializing together offshore from Keāhole Point!
With word of pilot whales in the area, we tried our luck and headed offshore into the blue. After passing some incredibly active bait balls (always a good sign of life) and sea birds we noticed splashing and spouts up ahead. The spouts were clear indications of whales, but we were admittedly confused about which species we were seeing until we got closer. Our captain believed they were pilot whales, and our naturalist thought they were humpbacks. Turns out, they were both right! A juvenile humpback whale was interacting with a group of short-finned pilot whales!
As we arrived on scene, there appeared to be two male pilot whales with the humpback. As the encounter continued, more and more pilot whales materialized gradually joining in on the action. This kind of multi-species socialization, especially between a toothed whale and a baleen whale, is rare to witness! The interaction was not of a harassing nature, as we watched both species exhibit socializing behaviors. There was pec slapping, rolling, trumpeting, peduncle throwing, and consistent surface activity from the humpback!
At one point, we could hear the humpback’s vocalizations from the boat without our hydrophone in the water! We knew if we could hear it at the surface, it would be even better with the hydrophone active, and we were not disappointed! Our crew and guests listened as the hydrophone picked up both the echolocation and whistles of the pilot whales and vocals of the humpback. It was mindblowing. A total sensory experience!
Happywhale Humpback ID
December 5, 2023
Science is in motion in the Pacific Ocean!
We’ve encountered a handful of early-season humpback whales on our recent tours, and on December 2nd, Captain Andrew Aggergaard and Naturalist Olivia Miller spotted our first mom, calf, and escort group of the season!
We encountered the trio near Kiholo Bay, and the unmistakable baby dorsal fin had everyone onboard over the moon with excitement! We got some incredible looks as the playful calf surfaced, with mom and companion watching close by. The group cruised south together with baby spending more time at the surface, and the adults took deeper dives and showed their flukes, allowing our crew to capture ID fluke photos!
Every humpback whale has unique markings on the underside of their tail, or flukes, that help to identify them! Using Happywhale’s AI technology and digital photo database, we were able to identify the whales that we were on scene with! Mom has the scientific ID “HW-MN0441379”, and scientific ID “HW-MN0441807” was her male companion.
Watching whales is fun, but it’s also for science! At Hawaiian Adventures, like many other citizen scientists and research organizations, we have been contributing our fluke photos to Happywhale’s database for many years. Identifying whales helps us to better understand their species and populations. By matching our fluke photo to Happywhale’s, we found that the female was also sighted in Hawaii in 2021 with a calf! Seeing this humpback in Hawaiian waters with another new calf is a fantastic sign, and we’re excited to document the continued growth of the humpback population as more return to the Kona Coast!
A Humpback Named Moon
December 5, 2023
Against All Odds: Humpback Whale Completes Migration to Kona
On December 9, 2022 the crew of Hawaiian Adventures Kona was on a wildlife scouting trip when they encountered humpback whale BCX1232, otherwise known as “Moon”, off the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Moon, a mature female humpback whale, has made headlines recently for her resilience in the face of insurmountable odds, completing a 4,000+ mile migration with a severe spinal injury. Hawaiian Adventures, in communication with a Cascadia Research Collective vessel, officially documented the sighting with photos of the encounter.
Moon was accompanied by a fellow mature humpback whale known by the scientific ID: PWF-NP_2761. “The contrast in condition between these two whales is a gut-wrenching testament to just how severe Moon’s condition is. She has a significant infestation of sea lice and appears to be severely emaciated” says Hawaiian Adventures’ Naturalist Sam Murphy.
Hawaiian Adventures submitted photos from this encounter to Happywhale, a comprehensive database for marine mammal photo-identification fueled by such photo contributions. Thanks to the whale watching and research communities, we know Moon was first documented in British Columbia in 2013, and potentially sustained an injury as a result of a ship strike in 2020.
Moon’s condition and valiant migration to Hawaii implores a significant message, the importance of being whale-aware on the water. Responsible whale watchers know, “if you see a blow, go slow”. This means reducing speeds, parallel viewing, and exercising caution and vigilance when in proximity of whales. Along with these efforts, Hawaiian Adventures Kona has introduced the use of the Whale Warning Flag along the Kona Coast. Similar to a dive flag, it acts as a signal to boaters that whales are within proximity of a vessel.
Tools like the whale warning flag and the use of photo identification are helping to increase awareness and understanding of the whales we share these waters with. As professional whale watchers, Hawaiian Adventures Kona hopes that further implementation of these tools and practices can help prevent future circumstances such as Moon’s.
Early Humpback Arrives
November 21, 2023
Early Humpback Arrives in Kona!
Hawaiian Adventures Kona encountered their first humpback whale of the season yesterday! Captain Andrew Aggergaard, Naturalist Kelsi Kauhane, and guests were out on a dolphin and whale watching trip when they saw a larger shape on the horizon! As many of Kona’s year-round whales are smaller, and there had been reports of humpback sightings in Kona earlier this week, they excitedly approached the scene with high anticipation. Sure enough, just offshore from Magic Sands Beach Park, they found a humpback whale!
The whale was moving north along the shoreline, and it took a few breaths before diving down for about 7 minutes. The individual was smaller in size, and likely not a full-grown adult yet! This encounter marks the start of an exciting season the Kona Coast, the annual humpback migration! Every year, humpback whales make an incredible migration from their feeding grounds to the breeding ground of Hawaii. This journey is no small feat, taking an estimated 6-8 weeks and covering thousands of miles. The best time of year to see humpback whales in Hawaii is mid-Dec through mid-March, but we’re always thrilled to encounter early arrivals!
Summer Humpback
July 12, 2023
A summer humpback spotted on the Kona Coast!
Hawaiian Adventures has spent the week welcoming our newest vessel Artemis to the Kona Coast. Our year-round dolphin and whale watch trips this week have encountered pilot whales, melon-headed whales, and beaked whales, but nothing prepared us for the most exciting encounter of them all… a humpback whale!
While cruising the coastline near Kealakekua Bay, Captain Andrew Aggergaard spotted a blow and smooth dark back breaking the surface. As the gentle giant showed its flukes, we were shocked to discover that it was a humpback whale! While there are many species of whales and dolphins that might be found around Kona throughout the year, humpbacks are not usually one of them. This species migrates to Hawaiian waters during winter months to breed and give birth, typically from mid-December through March. A July humpback whale encounter is surprising to say the least!
“Because of the unique bathymetry of the Kona coast, you truly never know what might swim through,” remarked Hawaiian Adventures Naturalist Amy Aggergaard, “however, a humpback whale in the summertime is definitely high up on the list of surprising encounters”.
Hawaiian Adventures’ Naturalists documented the encounter with photos and videos, while excited guests rushed to the sides of Artemis to catch a glimpse of this giant surprise! We watched for about an hour as the humpback maintained consistent behavior, 15 minute downtimes followed by 1-3 breaths at the surface.
“We hope that the photos Captain Andrew captured of this humpback’s tail can help shed light on its story, as photo-identification is a means of tracking whales over their lifetime,” said Hawaiian Adventures Naturalist Sam Murphy.
While an initial search yielded no known matches to this individual, leaving its journey up to this point a mystery, Hawaiian Adventures will be sharing photos with researchers at Happywhale to confirm whether or not this humpback is indeed new to science.
The Kona Coast continues to amaze us every day, especially with year-round whales and dolphins, but this humpback was absolutely a unique encounter.
Epic Humpbacks
January 10, 2023
Epic Humpback Encounter in Kona Makes Headlines!
On Jan 10th, 2023 our whale-watching trip had an epic encounter off the Kona Coast! As we ventured north from Honokohau Harbor, our crew spotted two blows near Makalawena Beach. Approaching the scene, one of the whales departed while the other cruised alongside us. As we maintained our 200-yard distance, the humpback made a sudden turn and headed straight toward our boat! For the next 40 min, we witnessed behavior that can best be described as “people-watching”.
Engines shut off, our crew and guests excitedly watched as the humpback circled around and beneath Those Guys. The encounter was almost spiritual as we came face to face with one of the ocean’s most graceful giants! The whale displayed a number of social actions from pec slaps to spy hops and even a headstand showing off her flukes! Naturalist Kelsi Kauhane was able to capture some incredible underwater footage and photos during our dream encounter. This was hands down one of the best whale interactions we’ve ever had during a tour!
Upon arrival at the dock, we shared our experience with KGMB News’ channel Hawaii News Now. Our story was featured on the evening news and published on their website and social accounts! Enjoy the news clip above and some of Kelsi’s footage below of our encounter!
Needless to say, our interaction was a representation of how wild the wildlife can be. We continue to practice and promote responsible whale watching including slow approaches and viewing from 200+ yards. In unique circumstances like this, the whale approached us and was in control of our viewing situation. We’re beyond humbled by our breathtaking experience… a reminder of these whales’ beauty and might.
Sperm Whales
December 31, 2022
Sperm Whales Sighted off the Kona Coast
On Dec 31st, we had a truly incredible encounter with over a dozen (likley 20+) sperm whales during our 11 AM whale watching trip. We were about 5 miles offshore west of Kona in around 8,000 ft of water. When we arrived on scene, we found ourselves surrounded by whales with more and more coming to surface. We had the opportunity to spend around 40 min with this group as they were very social and surface active.
This was a unique encounter, and one that our crew and guests won’t soon forget! Whale watching on the Kona Coast is year round, and the offshore depths are home to a variety of pelagic species including sperm whales among other exotic marine life. Sperm whales prefer deeper waters and often have longer down times, making the fortunate circumstances of our encounter all the more spectacular. The ocean presents new opportunities every day, and we’re thrilled to have experienced this group of sperm whales!
First Humpback of the Season
November 7, 2022
First Humpback of the Migration Season
Humpbacks have arrived in Kona, Hawaii! Every year thousands of humpback whales migrate from their Pacific Northwest feeding grounds to the breeding grounds of Hawaii! Located in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Sanctuary, whale enthusiasts around the world have discovered Kona is the ultimate humpback whale-watching destination.
Hawaiian Adventures Kona snapped a photo of their first humpback of the season during their 7 AM signature snorkel tour on Nov 7th, 2022! Departing from Honokohau Harbor, the early bird gets the humpback as excited crew and guests spotted a massive morning surprise! “We saw a large spout rising from the blue as if the whale was signaling us of its arrival” said Adventure Director Kelsi Kauhane. Just a few miles offshore one of the first humpbacks had completed its migration to the Hawaiian Islands!
This early arrival marks the beginning of an exciting whale-watching season in Kona! Although many species of whales can be found in Kona year-round, the winter migration of humpbacks across the Pacific is what attracts many travelers to the Big Island. Hawaiian Adventures Kona specializes in providing an exciting and educational experience on all of its whale and wildlife tours. “It’s important that our guests leave with a new understanding of and respect for the whales we encounter,” says Captain Andrew Aggergaard “We’re excited to be a part of a whale-watching community that embodies and promotes this mindset”.
The best time of year to see humpback whales in Hawaii is mid-Dec through mid-March. If you’re looking to experience the humpback migration for yourself, Kona offers the best opportunity to do so!