Whale & Wildlife Report | Jan 25-31, 2026
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Hydrophone Vocals
Bottlenose Dolphins
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Pelagic Manta Ray
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Green Sea Turtle
Whale & Wildlife Report | Jan 25-31, 2026
And just like that… January has come to an end! We wrapped up the month with another fantastic week of whale watching. Our tours had some close encounters with curious humpbacks, mom and calf pairs, active dolphins, and a surprise sighting of a pelagic manta ray! The humpback activity has been electric, and with February historically being the peak of the season, now is the time to join us!
We were stoked to spot more mom and calf pairs on our trips! Some calves were full of energy as they practiced their breaching, while tiny newborns adorably flopped and rolled around on the surface sticking close to mom. These heartwarming moments are always special, but one encounter had our hearts racing!
We were observing a mom, calf, and escort trio when things got intense. A persistent challenger was stirring up drama while mom was actively maneuvering to nudge her calf out of the way. Suddenly, a third male charged in and the three males followed mom and baby in hot pursuit. Then came the twist: a pod of bottlenose dolphins swooping in and distracting the males, allowing mom and calf to safely swim away! It was a thrilling glimpse into the more wild aspects of the breeding and birthing season. We won’t be forgetting this sighting any time soon!
Our tours saw lots of surface activity along the coast. We encountered two humpback competition pods and watched as the whales blew bubbles, trumpeted, slapped their pec fins, and even cartwheeled! We were also wowed by curious humpbacks who took a closer interest in us. In these unique situations, the whales are in control! And the magic didn’t stop at the surface – we dropped our hydrophone and listened to the enchanting songs of the humpbacks echoing from below.
In addition to humpbacks, we saw other fun species during our tours! In the harbor, we said aloha to a Hawaiian monk seal pup who has been hanging around Honokohau. While waiting for some longer-downtime humpbacks, we also spotted a small scalloped hammerhead shark cruising on the surface. It was one of the smallest we’ve seen and everyone onboard got good looks.
Our favorite encounter however, was a large shadow that turned out to be a pelagic manta ray!! This was our second sighting EVER of this species, and they are the largest manta in the world (imagine a wingspan up to 26 feet wide). It was amazing seeing this gentle giant and a shocking reminder of their size difference compared to Kona’s reef manta rays.
Going into the peak of the humpback season, we have two exciting tour options:
2.5-3 Hour Humpback Whale Watch (on our 46-foot catamaran Artemis)
NEW 2.5-3 Hour Adventure Whale Watch (on our 41-foot Ribcraft Apollo)
To welcome our new boat Apollo and our brand-new tour, all Adventure Whale Watching tours in February are only $79 with code ApolloFEB!
