Year-Round Species Wrap-Up | 2024
This was our first pelagic whale watching season with our new catamaran Artemis, and we’ve loved sharing new adventures with our guests every day. With our offshore certification, we ventured further offshore and saw so many unique species this year!
We Encountered 9 Species Of Whales
Short-finned pilot whales
Sperm whales
Dwarf sperm whales
Pygmy sperm whales
Blainville’s beaked whales
Cuvier’s beaked whales
Melon headed whales
Pygmy killer whales
Humpback whales
And 6 Types Of Dolphins
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Pantropical spotted dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
Rough-toothed dolphins
Fraser’s dolphins
Risso’s dolphins
We Saw 11 Different Sharks
Oceanic white-tip sharks
Tiger sharks
Smooth hammer head shark
Scalloped hammer head shark
Oceanic black tip shark
Galapagos shark
Silky shark
Mako shark
Whale shark
Whitetip reef shark
And 3 Species Of Rays
Reef manta rays
Spotted eagle rays
Sicklefin devil ray
Other Species Included…
Hawaiian monk seals
Green sea turtles
Mahi & tuna
Reef fish
So many seabirds!
Spending much of our time in the deep searching for unique species, we collect data and contribute to scientific projects in addition to running tours.
Our team photographs cetacean dorsal fins to further the Hawaii branch of the Cascadia Research Collective. When we are lucky enough to cross paths with a whale shark, we make sure to submit identifying photos to Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective. Being one of the few places in the world where you can see oceanic white-tip sharks consistently, we also contribute to the Shark Tagger project. In addition, this year we added to a paper discussing an event involving tiger sharks and oceanic white-tip sharks feeding on a whale carcass! With winter upon us, we will continue submitting humpback fluke photos to the Happywhale database as well.
Mahalo for a fantastic offshore season. Bring on the humpbacks!
Interested in experiencing these 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.
