Happy New Years from our family to yours!
This year has been quite the journey for us here at Hawaiian Adventures. We started 2021 out in the boat yard, working hard to transform the fishing vessel once known as the “Sea Wife II” into our dream adventure boat. She went through a full makeover, with the installation of new engines, new electronics, boat-wide speakers, new built-in seating and cubbies, custom-designed swim ladder and railings, a shiny new paint job and more. A lot of love, labor and one new name later and Those Guys was ready for some Hawaiian adventures!
What followed was a year packed with incredible adventuring up and down the Kona coast, starting with the 2020-2021 winter humpback migration! Cameras on hand, our crew worked to document as many whale encounters as they could while teaching guests about this remarkable species. Data collected was later passed along to researchers, and with the help of Happy Whale we made some really exciting discoveries:
We were able to document new calves and first-time mothers.
We encountered and photographed whales new to science! Their IDs are now logged in the Happy Whale database.
We encountered an individual previously only seen in the Mexican breeding grounds. Less than 200 of the roughly 25,000 humpbacks in the north pacific have been documented visiting both Hawaii and Mexico in their lifetimes.
At least three of the humpbacks we encountered were matched to the Salish Sea, and our sister crew in Washington encountered at least one of them when they returned to feed in the Pacific Northwest later that summer.
When it came time for the humpbacks to migrate back to Washington (and some of our seasonal crew with them), we transitioned into our snorkel season. The Big Island boasts some of the deepest, most accessible blues in Hawaii, just offshore of Honokohau Harbor. It’s in these deeper waters that we had some of our most memorable encounters:
Pods of pilot whales showing just as much curiosity in us as we did in them.
Gentle whale sharks skimming the surface.
Inquisitive oceanic white tip sharks tagging along behind pods of cetaceans.
A sperm whale mother-calf pair.
Huge pods of pantropical spotted dolphins in search of wakes to surf.
When we weren’t scanning offshore we were diving amongst the vibrant coral reefs that dot the Kona coast, frequenting breathtaking shorelines between the towering cliffs of Kealakekua Bay and the white sandy shores of Makalawena. Day or night, we were there for it. That’s right, this fall we commissioned the design of our custom-crafted manta board and began incorporating night manta snorkels into our schedule. These quickly became a favorite amongst both crew and guests. The rush of seeing these beautiful beings up close as they barrel roll beneath you is an experience that is hard to top.
Now, as we close out another year, we’ve come full circle. Humpbacks have arrived for the 2021-2022 season and we’re back to running the whale watching trips that started it all!
We are so grateful for everyone who joined us on the water this year and cannot wait to see what ocean encounters 2022 has in store!
Interested in experiencing these tours?
Join us, experts with over 25 years of experience running professional wildlife tours. 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. If you’ve been on other tours, you’ll appreciate the Hawaiian Adventures difference.
