Whale & Wildlife Report | Feb 8-14, 2026
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphins
Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks
Oceanic Black Tip Shark
Reef Manta Rays
Whale & Wildlife Report | Feb 8-14, 2026
Happy World Whale Day! We get to celebrate whales every day on our year-round tours, and right now we’re all about the humpbacks. We felt a nice surge of activity this week, and one of our trips set the new season record by spotting 18 humpbacks!! The number of whales we see can change dramatically from one trip to the next (and it’s not all about the quantity) but we’re excited to have so many whales off the coast right now!
While we can never predict what behaviors the humpbacks will show us on any given day, the peak of the humpback season often delivers some truly jaw-dropping surface activity! We always remind everyone to keep their heads on a swivel, and this week definitely rewarded that advice.
Close to the boat and farther out across the water, we witnessed incredible displays: powerful breaches, cartwheels, and tail slaps. We were also treated to some wonderful auditory moments with whales who were trumpeting and blowing bubbles. Always remember that whales are wild animals and their energy can shift in an instant!
We had a few intimate encounters this week, but one humpback wowed us with their friendliness and curiosity! We were observing a whale in the distance when, after a deep dive, it suddenly resurfaced right by us. With engines shut down, we drifted peacefully as this giant chose to stay with us for nearly an hour and half – circling, twirling, and rolling just below. Thanks to Kona’s clear waters, our guests could easily peer down around the boat and watch the whale beneath the surface. This encounter was truly magical!
We spent time with a number of mom and calf pairs, and we were able to identify a few of the male escorts who were tagging along with them! One escort was BCZ0264 “Nimbus”, previously seen on the north side of Vancouver Island. We also identified a whale who first sighted back in 1987 (meaning their movements have been tracked for nearly four decades now), and another whale who has only been seen in Russia and Japan (so now we know that they winter in Hawaii)!
How do we know all this awesome information? Happywhale! Our naturalists take as many fluke photos as they can to submit to Happywhale – a growing citizen science database that has over 100,000 unique humpback fluke photos. By visually tracking whales, we can learn about their patterns and preferences, and ultimately further our greater understanding of their species!
Beyond more common sights like bottlenose dolphins and Hawaiian spinner dolphins, this week brought some unexpected thrills! Several tours saw reef manta rays gliding and feeding right at the surface. We also saw multiple scalloped hammerhead sharks – one big shark cruising right next to us with its entire dorsal fin out of the water. And to top it off, while we were patiently waiting for a humpback to resurface, an oceanic black tip shark suddenly breaching high into the air and spun in front of us. As always, the Kona Coast is full of surprises!
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