Whale & Wildlife Report | Jan 11-17, 2026
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Hydrophone Vocals
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Pantropical Spotted Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphins
Whale & Wildlife Report | Jan 11-17, 2026
This week's humpback encounters were filled with heartwarming moments and bursts of high-energy action! We enjoyed several relaxed mom-and-calf pairs taking leisurely surface intervals, offering plenty of sweet views as the calves played nearby while moms cruised protectively close by. A few pairs treated us to cool passes, but the most dramatic sighting involved a mom-calf-escort trio shadowed by a challenging male—tension simmered with plenty of awareness from the protective mom, while the tiny, floppy-finned calf never strayed from her side. Witnessing the newest generation of humpbacks is such a special experience.
Some of the season's most thrilling sights come from competition pods (comp pods)—dynamic groups where multiple males compete, often sparking intense surface activity like lunges, slaps, and chases that draw in even more participants. We observed one lively group start at six and quickly swell to seven, delivering wild passes full of commotion. Another comp pod turned into pure ocean chaos when pantropical spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins joined the fray!
Our 7 AM tours continue to shine, with magical sunrise lighting over the water that's hard to beat. One unforgettable pair greeted us with nearly an hour of continuous breaching—an epic wake-up call! Other whales delivered a showcase of surface behaviors: massive cartwheels, pec slaps, tail throws, and spy hops that turned whale watching into a game of "people watching" as they popped up to check us out. The action is ramping up beautifully, and we're soaking it all in.
We also captured beautiful vocalizations through the hydrophone, though most of the excitement stayed topside this week. Thanks to Happywhale and our naturalist’s fluke photos, we identified multiple individuals, including one standout that earned the week's longest migration trophy—last seen in Russia! These identifications let us peek into the whales' lives and share their stories with guests, fostering those meaningful connections we love.
With blows dotting the horizon more each day, January is delivering strong, and we're thrilled for more time with these incredible humpbacks this winter!
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