Whale & Wildlife Report | Feb 23- March 1, 2025
PC: Sam Murphy
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Fin Whales
Dwarf Sperm Whales
Bottlenose Dolphins
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Pantropical Spotted Dolphins
Reef Manta Rays
Hawaiian Monk Seals
Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks
Green Sea Turtles
Whale & Wildlife Report | Feb 23- March 1, 2025
The action this week was unmatched! Offshore we found a number of active humpbacks and saw pec slapping, flukes, and big breaches. We were able to ID one individual as “Horizontal” a northern BC whale! We came across multiple male competition pods that varied from a few individuals to 10. Everyone was wowed with cartwheels, tail slaps, jaw pops, and more. When the action slowed, we were able to drop our hydrophone and listen-in. Whale listening was the highlight on a few trips as we picked up some wild vocalizations. One humpback was singing so loud we could hear him through the hull of Artemis!
PC: Sam Murphy
We enjoyed mom, calf, and escort trios and had a particularly exciting encounter. Two males challenged the escort and we watched the whales charge around each other with competitive behavior. The escort fended the challengers off and resumed swimming with mom and baby! How cool! There were lots of breaching babies that varied from a couple weeks old to at least a month or two old. March is still a great time to see these little whales before they head off on their migration journey!
PC: Sam Murphy
In addition to humpbacks, we had two additional whale species this week. What we initially thought were sei whales turned out to be a mom and calf fin whale!! Fin whales are the second largest whale in the world and are upwards of 60 ft long. Our team and guests were shocked to see these massive wales and we got some great surfacings of the duo. On an early morning whale watch, we also found two dwarf sperm whales! This pair turned out to be a mom and calf as well and they were swimming in a current line. Two rare species? We couldn’t ask for more epic sightings!
PC: Olivia Miller
Our whale watching tours often encounter dolphins. Outside the marina and along the coast we had big groups of Hawaiian spinner dolphins. Some pods were sleepy and others were super playful! There were bottlenose hunting around the pens and more active pods that cruised alongside us. Our liveliest dolphin encounters however were Pantropical spotted dolphins! They can jump to impressive heights and one leaped high enough for us to make eye contact on the second deck of Artemis. Just wow!
PC: Sam Murphy
The wildlife didn’t stop there. In the harbor we saw honu and Hawaiian monk seals. On multiple trips we saw scalloped hammerhead sharks who were finning at the surface and giving us awesome views! In the current line we found a handful of surface feeding reef manta rays, and there were lots of flying fish jumping out of the waves. What a great way to start March!
PC: Sam Murphy
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Hawaiian Adventure’s tours provide the best opportunity to explore Kona’s coast and the wildlife beneath the waves. Our top-notch vessels, experienced crew, and oceanic expertise will make your Big Island adventure unforgettable.
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