Whale & Wildlife Report | November 5-11, 2023
Highlights
Bottlenose dolphins
Rough-toothed dolphins
150-200 melon-headed whales
Cuvier’s beaked whales
Hawaiian monk seal
Reef manta rays
Whale & Wildlife Report | November 5-11, 2023
Our dolphin and whale-watching tours encountered a variety of species this week. We saw consistent Hawaiian spinner activity near the harbor, especially in the morning! We had multiple encounters with bottlenose dolphins near the fish farm. We watched as groups hunted around the pens, and a few had some pretty magnificent leaps out of the water. Our crew member Olivia estimated one jump to reach around 10 ft high! A few came over to check us out, and we enjoyed some bow-riding action which is always fun.
The Kona Coast has some of the calmest conditions on the island, but the ocean can be unpredictable at times. Despite some swell this week, we worked to find the calmer waters along the coast. This included some stops in Kealakekua Bay, a historical and biologically rich site south of Kona. We find importance in sharing the history of Kealakekua, especially from the Hawaiian perspective and outlook. Kealakekua’s cliffsides are incredibly scenic, and we got some great looks into the clear waters to see turtle and fish action.
Our offshore ventures brought multiple pelagic species including a group of hunting rough-toothed dolphins. They seemed busy at work, but we got a few good looks at them. Further south, one of our tours found 150-200 melon-headed whales!!! Groups of this size are not uncommon, and melon-headed whales typically travel in large pods. Our guests watched and some rode our bow and swam up to us to say hello! Off the downtown area, we also spotted 4-5 Cuvier’s beaked whales, a more elusive species of whale. We had some great surfacings before the group dove down to the deep.
Our night manta adventures went north this week to Garden Eel Cove, our favorite manta site. Conditions were beautiful and the plankton was heavy. As soon as our light board were lit, the mantas swooped in! We enjoyed active feeding and lots of barrel rolls with a good amount of mantas! Very excitedly, we also spotted a Hawaiian monk seal sneaking around the area, and we got a few glimpses from the boat!
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