Whale & Wildlife Report | December 10-17, 2022
Highlights
Humpback whales
Humpback mom and calf pairs
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Reef manta rays
Whale & Wildlife Report | December 10-17, 2022
What an incredible week on the Big Island! Our humpback season has officially begun and we are starting to see more and more humpbacks arrive off the coast. Those Guys put on quite a search this week cruising the offshore and northern and southern coastlines. We were excited to spot multiple humpbacks and a few mom & calf pairs.
It’s a good week when it’s hard for us to choose our highlight encounter! We spent a lot of time with pods of Hawaiian Spinner dolphins. We often see them right outside the harbor or on their way inshore from their evening hunting. Guests got some up close and personal looks this week with lots of spinning and bow riding. Hawaiian Spinners are one of the most acrobatic dolphin species that we can see in Hawaii, and we love when our guests get to see them in action!
Those Guys had some epic humpback encounters with a full breach off our stern on our 11 AM whale watch on Monday. It’s always a treat when we get surface action, especially a breach! We saw multiple mom and calf pairs, which was great for so early in the season. Our season runs mid-Dec through mid-March, and we can’t wait for more sightings on our upcoming tours.
Mantas were fantastic with Makako Bay being the hotspot this week. We had 15+ mantas on all our trips with lots of familiar faces! We saw Delaney, Gaby, Lafferty, Queenie, Jana, Big Bertha, and others. Our trip on Friday was surprised by a lightning storm above Mauna Loa that lit up the sky for what seemed like the entire evening! Although we had some rainy nights, this week has been nothing short of beautiful weather with plenty of sunshine, wildlife, and awesome guests!
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