Whale & Wildlife Report | March 19-25, 2023
Highlights
Humpback whales
Whale shark
Surface feeding reef manta rays
Short-finned pilot whales
Pygmy false killer whales
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
Oceanic whitetip sharks
Tiger sharks
Whale & Wildlife Report | March 19-25, 2023
It’s been a whale of a week on the Big Island! As we approach the end of the humpback migration season in Hawaii, we’re happy to report lots of whale activity including humpbacks and a few of Kona’s pelagic species! Some of our friends on the water also encountered a Minke whale; a first for many here, but one of the species our sister company Island Adventures encounters frequently in Washington State! With over a dozen species of whales that can be found in Kona’s waters year-round, we’re excited to focus our efforts on exploring the offshore and spotting more pelagic species on our upcoming trips!
We were beyond excited to encounter one of our crew’s favorite species during multiple trips this week; a whale shark!! These gentle giants fall into the pelagic (open-ocean) category of marine species that we can find on the Kona coast! Naturalist Kelsi captured some amazing footage of one of our encounters with a massive whale shark (an estimated 25+ ft in length) that spent around 20 min with us. Our encounter was featured on Hawaii News Now and Big Island Now, but we were one of many to encounter a whale shark this week! For a few of our guests, this was a bucket list species encounter. We couldn’t be more thrilled about the wave of whale sharks in the area, and can’t wait to see what exciting pelagic species we encounter next!
We encountered a number of humpbacks on our whale watch tours this week! The humpback migration season in Hawaii is a limited window of time, typically mid-Dec through mid-March. We spotted a few individuals and a couple of mom and calf pairs during of trips. With a few humpbacks still in the area, there’s a good probability of spotting more before they have entirely moved on along their migration path across the Pacific.
The spring and summer months in Kona are fantastic for good weather and lots of wildlife. The Big Island of Hawaii is especially unique with the number of pelagic species and whales that we can spot throughout the year. Every day on the water is different, and every trip is full of exciting possibilities. Thank you to all of our wonderful guests who joined us during the humpback migration season, and we’re ready to explore the further offshore!
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