Whale & Wildlife Report | February 25 - March 2, 2024
PC: Captain Andrew Aggergaard
Highlights
Humpback mom and calf pairs
Male humpback competition pods
Hawaiian spinner dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
Reef manta rays
Pantropical spotted dolphins
Hydrophone vocals
Whale & Wildlife Report | February 25 - March 2, 2024
March is here and the whales are still out to play! With a few more weeks of the official humpback season remaining, the calves are starting to get curious and more surface-active. We had lots of mom and calf pairs and were surprised to see some babies that looked relatively new and small still! A few of the pairs had a male escort traveling with them, and at times the escorts displayed protective behavior (especially with a few pods of bottlenose dolphins). During the humpback season, it’s not uncommon to see bottlenose dolphins interacting with humpbacks, and it’s always interesting to witness the dynamics between the two species.
We had the opportunity to use our hydrophone on many of our excursions, and listening to the humpback’s vocals was some of our guest’s favorite part of the tour! After we’ve seen a few blows and the surface activity slows, we check to see if there’s more than meets the eye. Sure enough, the males were singing their annual song! Having the ability to not only see but also hear the humpbacks enchants and elevates our whale-watching experience. Sharing that moment with our guests will always be one of our favorite parts of the day.
We had lots of wonderful encounters with Hawaiian spinner dolphins this week with some large pods on our 7 AM tours! One group off the Kua Bay area we estimated to be at least 60+ individuals with some adorable babies in the mix. We have lots of guests who join us to see whales and just as many who are excited about dolphins! We also found some Pantropical spotted pods and saw a few bottlenose hunting around the fish pens.
We had people from all over the country and world this week, including an intrepid group of students from Minnesota State University! The wonder of the humpback season draws those from near and far, and we are excited to meet more wildlife enthusiasts on our upcoming tours!
PC: Captain Andrew Aggergaard
PC: Captain Andrew Aggergaard
PC: Captain Andrew Aggergaard
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