Curious Pilot Whales
Short-finned pilot whales, photo taken on a different trip.
The ocean, in all of her mystery, brings new wonders and surprises each day. Every trip is unique, and we never know exactly what wildlife we will encounter, but some adventures stand apart from the rest…
Recently, while out exploring the blue, our crew encountered a group of 20-30 short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus. Their wide inky-black dorsal fins stood out against the brilliant blues of Kona’s coastal waters. These toothed whales, odontocetes, were cruising along when we arrived on scene, mothers and their young swimming side-by-side. We traveled with them, slowly cruising parallel to the pod while maintaining a respectful buffer of space. Then the pod stopped, and the most magical encounter ensued.
We sat drifting about one hundred yards away from the group when they decided to come get a closer look and people watch. Before we knew it pilot whales surrounded us. Some were socializing, displaying spyhops, cartwheels and tail slaps at the surface. Others were logging, their full bodies visible as they floated in the crystal clear waters. This alone was enough to take our breath away, but then we heard the unmistakable sound of vocalizations above the surface! We didn’t even have a hydrophone in the water, yet we could clearly hear them conversing with one another, or perhaps us!
To checkout video from this remarkable encounter and others, check out our instagram feed or facebook page.
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