Whale & Wildlife Report | April 20-26, 2025

Written By Hawaiian Adventures
kona offshore

PC: Olivia Miller

Highlights

  • Short-Finned Pilot Whales 

  • Whale Shark

  • Pantropical Spotted Dolphins

  • Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins

  • Bottlenose Dolphins

  • Pelagic Manta Rays

Whale & Wildlife Report | April 20-26, 2025

We love Kona’s biodiversity, especially when it comes to marine life. Our 3-4 hr tours have the potential to find unique species, and this week did not disappoint. When scanning to the south, we found 2 pelagic manta rays chasing each other and displaying mating behavior!! This was such a crazy sight and our naturalist was able to get ID photos. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, a whale shark surfaced! The sighting was brief but we got some good looks before it dove.

kona offshore whale

PC: Olivia Miller

With a mix of weather conditions this week, we were glad to find clear skies and short-finned pilot whales in Kona’s pelagic zone. We encountered multiple pods and one of the smaller groups was super curious. We shut off our engines and floated as they came over and did a few passes under our bow. Another pod off the old airport area had a couple huge bulls that also took an interest in us! Other pods were charging up and down the coast, making for a whale-rich week on our adventures.

kona spinner dolphin jump

PC: Olivia Miller

Offshore, we spent time with a massive pod of playful Pantropical spotted dolphins! This species is typically in deeper waters and they came in to ride our bow and wake. A pod of hunting bottlenose also wowed us by cruising alongside Artemis and showing us their fish. It was such a cool interaction! We had pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins on our trips and a few individuals displayed impressive jumps and spins. We can see all three of these dolphin species year-round on our tours!

kona offshore whale watch

PC: Olivia Miller

As a small family-run company, it’s hard to find some time off! Our crew is taking a much-deserved vacation and will be off-island until May 14th. Our office is open daily from 5 AM to 1 PM, and offshore whale watch tours and night manta ray snorkels will resume on Wednesday, May 14th!

leaping bottlenose dolphin

PC: Olivia Miller

Interested in experiencing our 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.

Hawaiian Adventures
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Whale & Wildlife Report | April 13-19, 2025