Whale & Wildlife Report | March 29-April 4, 2026
Highlights
Short-Finned Pilot Whales
Pygmy Killer Whales
Humpback Whales
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphins
Oceanic White Tip Sharks
Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks
Tiger Shark
Whale & Wildlife Report | March 29-April 4, 2026
The pelagic season is here! Our 3-4 hour pelagic dolphin and whale watch tours are back in action. We’re heading out into Kona’s deep waters in search of over a dozen species of year-round whales, dolphins, and other cool marine life. With our variety of encounters this week, we couldn’t have asked for a better start!
Pilot whales, pilot whales, and more pilot whales! We were stoked to see multiple pods of short-finned pilot whales on our tours. We identified one pod as our main big island residents!
We saw a range of surface behaviors including logging and big spy hops. Other pods were on the move, one with a ton of little calves in the mix. So cute! We also spotted a couple oceanic white tip sharks following along!
Speaking of sharks, we had an especially sharky week. When cruising inshore, we came across a huge tiger shark swimming on the surface and a solo scalloped hammerhead.
The biggest thrill however came from finding schooling hammerhead sharks! Our naturalist was able to get some great underwater shots, and sharks will always be a favorite find.
Another pelagic species made a brief but exciting appearance: pygmy killer whales! We were thrilled to spot them and got our first good look before they suddenly disappeared on a deep dive. Unfortunately, they never resurfaced, so we continued on with our search. After all, they’re wild whales!
Easter brought us some extra fortune with two fantastic humpback encounters! Although our official humpback whale watch tours have now ended, a few stragglers can still linger in the area. We were lucky to spot a solo individual and a beautiful mom-and-calf pair. Seeing humpbacks in April is a treat!
Mahalo nui loa to everyone who joined us this winter, and big shoutout to our hardworking crew! Our team members, both seasoned and new, brought so much energy and passion to our tours. It was a memorable few months, and now on to explore the offshore.
Interested in experiencing our tours?
Hawaiian Adventure’s tours provide the best opportunity to explore the Kona Coast and the wildlife beneath the waves.
If you’ve been on other tours, you’ll appreciate the Hawaiian Adventures difference.
