Whale & Wildlife Report | May 14-17, 2025
PC: Olivia Miller
Highlights
Short-Finned Pilot Whales
Cuvier’s Beaked Whales
Bottlenose Dolphins
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Oceanic White Tip Sharks
Mahi Mahi & Tuna
Flying Fish
Whale & Wildlife Report | May 14-17, 2025
Our Hawaiian Adventures team has returned from vacation and we were ready to get back on the water for some Kona whale watching! This week, our year-round tours encountered two types of whales and had some wild multi-species interactions.
PC: Olivia Miller
Kona’s short-finned pilot whales welcomed us back in full force. We spent time with multiple pods and saw a mix of all kinds of behaviors. Two groups had oceanic white tip sharks trailing along and we got some good looks at these unique sharks. A few of the pilot whales were curious and everyone was excited to see them spy hop. It’s always fun when they take a look at us! We were happy to see larger bulls, whose sizes continue to be impressive amongst their pod members. The whales made some nice passes and it was great to have so many in the area.
PC: Olivia Miller
Offshore, our tour encountered one of Kona’s more elusive whales, four Cuvier’s beaked whales! Their distinctive spotting and coloration helps us to identify them, as this species sometimes only spends a brief moment at the surface before disappearing from our view. Naturalist Olivia was able to snap a few photos and our guests got a couple looks before it dove. Cuvier’s beaked whales are the deepest-diving whale in the world, with the deepest recorded dive at 9,816 feet (2,992) meters. We were stoked to get a couple surfacings!
PC: Olivia Miller
It’s not every day that we get a multi-species interaction, but one of our trips was lucky this week! While watching a pod of pilot whales, four bottlenose dolphins came charging onto the scene. We watched the dolphins interact with the whales and the pilots were breaching and tail slapping. The bottlenose also came over to ride the bow of Artemis for a bit, and our guests got some up-close looks! Observing these species’ dynamics is so interesting and this is only the third time that we have seen bottlenose and pilot whales interact like they did!
PC: Olivia Miller
We found a couple pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins along Kona’s coastline. The first group was in Kealakekua Bay and they were super playful. The dolphins kept circling our bow and looking at everyone! Further north was an even livelier pod of spinners who were jumping and displaying their iconic spins. This species continues to be one of our favorites, and if you’re visiting Hawaii, you don’t want to miss seeing Hawaiian spinner dolphins. We’re looking forward to our upcoming dolphin/whale watching tours this week and our night manta snorkel trip on Thursday!
Interested in experiencing our tours?
Hawaiian Adventure’s tours provide the best opportunity to explore Kona’s coast and the wildlife beneath the waves. Our top-notch vessels, experienced crew, and oceanic expertise will make your Big Island adventure unforgettable.
If you’ve been on other tours, you’ll appreciate the Hawaiian Adventures difference.
