Whale & Wildlife Report | February 11-17, 2024
Highlights
Whale shark
Short-finned pilot whales
Multiple pods of 100+ Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
Surface feeding manta rays
Male humpback competition pods
Humpback mom and calf pairs
Whale & Wildlife Report | February 11-17, 2024
We are fully immersed in Kona’s marine scene! It’s been a blast meeting guests from near and far, and sharing the amazing experience of whale watching with them! The humpback season is a special time on the Kona Coast and we only get to spend a few months with this species. If you have the opportunity to join us before the end of March, we highly recommend doing so!
Morning, mid-day, and afternoon, the humpback action was non-stop! We spent time with lots of mom and calf pairs, and saw some very new looking babies! One calf in particular rested on mom’s rostrum while she held it up from below (adorable)! Some calves were introduced to the ways of the world as male competition pods came on scene. Competition is fierce amongst male humpbacks looking to breed, and things can get a bit hairy with calves close by! We watched skillful mothers keeping them out of the way as the males breached, slapped their pec fins, and cartwheeled.
Our tours this week ventured up and down the coastline, but whales were never far! We encountered multiple pods of pilot whales; one of our frequent pelagic whale species! One pod of pilots came across a competition pod of humpbacks, and we witnessed some of the most intense species vs species action to date. Trumpeting, breaching, head lobbing, and splashing of all sorts took place before both species went separate ways. Naturalist Olivia identified a bull nicknamed “Razor” amongst a number of other large male pilot whales.
We had some huge pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins on our trips! Guests were in awe of the 100+ groups that graced us with their presence. Amongst the mix, we spotted Ghost multiple times and saw a variety of large and tiny dolphins! Pods of bottlenose dolphins were doing their hunting around the fish pens and we picked up some of their underwater vocalizations through our hydrophone amidst the humpback songs!
With such an amazing week, it was difficult to pick our favorite encounter, but a 20-foot whale shark took the cake! A large shadow off our port side surfaced and turned out to be a massive whale shark! The individual investigated our bubbles and gave our guests some great looks before departing on its way. We can’t wait to see what wonders are in our waters next week!
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