Whale & Wildlife Report | January 29 - February 4, 2023
Highlights
Humpback whales
Humpback mom and calf pairs
False killer whales
Fin whales!
Whale & Wildlife Report | January 29 - February 4, 2023
his week, Mother Nature reminded us of why whale watching in Kona is so special. We had great weather and guests, and even better encounters! The topography of the ocean floor around the Big Island of Hawaii is unique, as it quickly deepens to thousands of feet just a few miles offshore. This deep water attracts marine life of all sorts, including over 12 species of whales. While we are always on the search for pelagic species, the humpback migration from mid-Dec through March is one of the most exciting seasons on the island!
The calves were out to play this week! Sticking close to mom, we witnessed what seemed like a few lessons in breaching. We watched in awe as a mature female breached over 6 times on one of our tours! Shortly after, her calf followed propelling about half its body out of the water. Breaching itself requires a lot of energy, and calves don’t have quite enough strength to fully launch themselves at such a young age. It was so much fun watching the two together, and we’re thrilled to share a few photos of the encounter taken by our onboard naturalist!
False killer whales! False killer whales can be found around the globe, including in tropical regions like Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands population is listed as an endangered species, as their population is believed to be less than 200 individuals. We were extremely excited when we spotted a group of 6-8 whales, and were able to spend time with them during one of our whale-watching trips. Everyone onboard was thrilled as the group spy-hopped, rode our wake, and circled around us! This was an amazing experience and had to be our highlight of the week.
We had another surprising sighting this week…Fin whales!! The bit of rain shower resulted in good karma when our crew spotted two massive whales along the shoreline next to O-Tech. We were watching a humpback when a larger back and blow caught our attention! At first, it was difficult to distinguish what species, and we thought they might be Sei whales. Photo contribution to Cascadia later confirmed that they were indeed Fin whales! Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on earth, reaching up to 66 ft long! This was a BIG moment, as this was our first encounter with a Fin whale in Kona’s waters. What a trip and what a week!
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