Whale & Wildlife Report | September 21-27, 2025
PC: Olivia Miller
Highlights
Short-Finned Pilot Whales
Bottlenose Dolphins
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins
Oceanic White Tip Sharks
Whale & Wildlife Report | September 21-27, 2025
This week, we spent time with our charismatic Hawaiian spinner dolphins, a few elusive bottlenose, oceanic white tip sharks, and multiple pods of pilot whales. Because of the massive changes in depth off the Kona coast, we are exposed to a multitude of different species that utilize different near shore and pelagic environments. It’s always such a treat being able to witness this biodiversity in action!
PC: Olivia Miller
Each pilot whale’s dorsal fin holds unique characteristics– size, shape, notches, and scars– that we can use to ID different individuals. This allows for minimally invasive data collection and analysis, and we can track each individual to see which whales are documented frequently together, which females are seen with calves, and how often pods move through our search range. Using this ID strategy, we were able to identify one of the pods we were on scene with this week as one we’ve seen many times before!
PC: Andrew Aggergaard
One of the largest bulls in this pod allows for easy identification because of his heavily scarred and notched dorsal fin. Using this same strategy, we were also able to determine that we spent time with a separate pod of inter-island pilot whales later in the week. This ability to ID individual whales assists greatly with understanding the movements and habits of our residential pilot whales, and also allows us to provide in depth education for our guests!
PC: Andrew Aggergaard
We spent time with two species of dolphins this week, and both species exhibited different behaviors while we were on scene. Our spinner dolphins were intent on resting and socializing in shallow, sandy bays near shore, saving their energy for their nocturnal foraging. The sneaky bottlenose dolphins we spotted at the fish farms, however, actively hunted in and around the pens, on the prowl for their next meal!
PC: Olivia Miller
Upcoming Tours
Thursday (10/2)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch
Friday (10/3)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch
Monday (10/6)- 8:30 AM Dolphin/Whale Watch
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.
