Whale & Wildlife Report | August 20-26, 2023
Highlights
Short-finned pilot whales
Whale shark
Oceanic whitetip sharks
Spotted eagle rays
Reef manta rays
Sea turtles
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
Whale & Wildlife Report | August 20-26, 2023
Pilot whales, whale sharks, and dolphins, oh my!
Our dolphin and whale-watching trips had some exciting encounters this week! We spotted multiple pods of pilot whales on our trips. These pods ranged in size from a few individuals to around 30-40 whales! We had two encounters with super-pods of pilots, one offshore and one right outside the harbor! The groups were very interactive with splashing, lunging, and spy hopping, and we also saw a few calves amongst the mix! Groups of oceanic whitetip sharks also trailed the pods, a frequent sight near pilot whales.
We’re thrilled to share that we also saw a whale shark this week, one of our crew members’ favorite marine species!! the individual was around 20 ft long, and we were lucky to get a few surfacings near the boat from this curious animal! While we were watching the whale shark, guests also pointed out lots of man o war jellyfish, one of the few creatures we would prefer not to be in the water with!
With a variety of weather and water conditions this week, we did have some great night manta snorkel trips as well! Mother Nature can be unpredictable, and our trips experienced everything from calm waters to downpour rain. Despite the conditions, our awesome guides and adventurous guests had action-packed encounters with heavy plankton, lots of barrel rolling and close passes, and even surface feeding around the swim step of Artemis! We’re looking forward to another wildlife-packed week on the Big Island!
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