Whale & Wildlife Report | November 19-25, 2023
Highlights
Juvenile humpback whale
Pygmy killer whales
Bottlenose dolphins
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Whale & Wildlife Report | November 19-25, 2023
This week was full of excitement from a super swell to over 40 pilot whales to our first humpback of the upcoming season! We started off our week with lots of dolphin activity. We found bottlenose to the south and also to the north around the Blue Ocean Mariculture fish pens. This has been a frequent spot for finding dolphins lately, and we often see lots of hunting behavior around the pens. We also found spinner dolphins in Kealakekua Bay, a well-known resting site for spinners. While our tours can venture far offshore, it’s fun when we get the opportunity to visit significant inshore areas like Kealakekua Bay.
The Offshore however is our favorite for a reason, this week we had two species of pelagic whales: pilot whales and false killer whales! We found a massive group of short-finned pilot whales, and our crew estimated around 40 individuals! We don’t often encounter large pods of pilots, as the species is usually seen in smaller groups. This was a cool sight, and the pod was very surface-active! Our second pelagic whale encounter was with 25-30 pygmy killer whales. They seemed to be resting at the surface, spending very little time beneath the surface.
One of our dolphin and whale watching trips encountered the highlight of the week… our first humpback whale of the season! Humpback whale season is typically mid-December through mid-March, so this was an early arrival! Although early, it is not unheard of for whales to arrive in November. The individual was a smaller whale and likely not a full-grown/mature adult. Even as a juvenile, we could tell by its size, dorsal fin, and signature exhalation that it was a humpback whale and not one of the other year-round species! Our encounter with this whale was brief, but an exciting start to one of our favorite seasons of the year!
We were thrilled to share our encounter with Big Island Now and Khon2 news. We know we aren’t the only ones awaiting the mass arrival of beloved humpbacks!
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