Whale & Wildlife Report | Dec 21-27, 2025
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Humpback Hydrophone Vocals
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphins
Tiger Shark
Reef Manta Rays
Hawaiian Monk Seals
Green Sea Turtles
Jumping Tunas
Whale & Wildlife Report | Dec 21-27, 2025
We hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Our team celebrated the holidays on the water with our guests searching for humpback whales and Kona’s year-round marine life. Our Christmas wishes were answered as we saw a wide variety of humpback activity and had the opportunity to use our hydrophone to listen to the symphony happening beneath the sea!
Departing from Honokohau Harbor means the wildlife search begins at the dock! We were treated to harbor honu cruising under Artemis and sunning on the rocks, and two Hawaiian monk seals doing some fishing right next us during check in! A large shadow beneath the surface turned out to be a tiger shark right at the harbor mouth, and right outside we encountered Hawaiian spinner dolphins on many of our excursions. Humpback whales are our focus, but there are so many other species we may encounter!
Whale patience can pay off! We had a number of longer downtime individuals, and when they disappear for more than a few minutes, anticipation builds and anything could happen. One humpback surprised us with four massive breaches and pec slapping! We found a few transient whales treating us to good surface time and fluke action, and through Happywhale we identified an individual known as SEAK-1685 who has been seen in southeast Alaska.
We saw more breaching from two rowdy humpbacks and other whales in the distance, but the highlight had to be a trio of humpbacks that were getting competitive. Three subadult males were chasing each other around, tail slapping, and cartwheeling! Competition pods are some of the coolest things we can see during this time of year.
While waiting for humpbacks to surface, our crew was able to utilize our hydrophone. On one occasion we heard humpback vocals and dolphin squeaks and clicks. So fun! Another humpback preferred to stay underwater and had some insane vocalizations - super loud and long-lasting. There are trips where listening to the whales becomes our favorite part!
A fun trend this week was reef manta rays! We saw mantas surface feeding in the current lines, cruising by a pod of spinner dolphins, and even in the vicinity of two humpback whales. These gentle giants are known for their impressive size with wingspans that can be upwards of 10 feet!
Hawaiian spinner dolphins delighted us with beautiful spins and acrobatics. Inshore we found a huge group - upwards of 200 dolphins! There were lots of teeny babies in the pods this week which is always a sweet sight. We also spotted a pod in super shallow water jumping in and out of the swells in stunning sunrise lighting. The 7 AM trips continue to be a fan-favorite time of day!
Upcoming Tours
12/29- 7 AM & 11 AM Humpback Whale Watches
12/30- 7 AM, 11 AM, & 3 PM Humpback Whale Watches
12/31- 7 AM & 11 AM Humpback Whale Watches
1/1- 11 AM Humpback Whale Watch
1/2- 3 PM Humpback Whale Watch
1/3- 7 AM & 11 AM Humpback Whale Watches
1/4- 7 AM & 11 AM Humpback Whale Watches
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.
