Whale & Wildlife Report | March 22-28, 2026
Highlights
Humpback Whales
Short-Finned Pilot Whales
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphins
Reef Manta Rays
Tiger Shark
Oceanic White Tip Shark
Mahi Mahi Chasing Flying Fish
Whale & Wildlife Report | March 22-28, 2026
The end of March is always an exciting time on the Kona Coast! New wildlife opportunities seem to pop up every day, and our crew is out there doing everything we can to find as many amazing animals as possible on our tours. At this point in the season, that could be humpbacks or Kona’s year-round whales, dolphins, and other marine life!
With only three humpback tours left this season, we made the most of every moment with the whales this week. We were especially thrilled to encounter a mom and calf pair not far from the harbor. They were in travel mode, but still treated us to plenty of wonderful surface activity. This duo is likely beginning their long journey back to the summer feeding grounds, so we wished them safe travels for the thousands of miles ahead!
We also had several sleepy whales, which meant longer downtimes and deep dives - and that gave us some spectacular fluke views. Even from a distance, our guests got fantastic looks at those massive tails. Fun fact: a humpback whale’s flukes can reach up to 18 feet wide!
We also met one energetic juvenile who put on quite a display with some impressive breaches. While many marine species breach, few are as powerful and awe-inspiring as a leaping humpback whale.
The perfect transition to the pelagic season: pods of short-finned pilot whales! We were stoked to see this year-round whale on multiple tours this week. Just in time for our 3-4 hour pelagic tours starting April 1st!
One pod was so friendly with 20-30 whales logging and spy hopping around us. We spotted an adorable mom and calf in the mix, and the calf was rolling around on the surface. We’re so excited to spend more time with these year-round whales in the coming months!
Interested in experiencing our tours?
Hawaiian Adventure’s tours provide the best opportunity to explore the Kona Coast and the wildlife beneath the waves.
If you’ve been on other tours, you’ll appreciate the Hawaiian Adventures difference.
