Captain zodiac ocean rafting kona whale watch tour from. From land or sea, they are an incredible sight to witness. There are at about 10,000 to 15,000 humpback whales in the world, and over 1,000 of them visit the tropical waters of hawaii every year at the end of november. The number one spot to go whale watching is in kaanapali, maui and the number two spot is kohala coast, big island. And when whale season rolls around, this already spectacular island becomes magical. Whale watching cruises are some of the most popular things to do in hawaiis whale season, which runs from december through april.
So if you have not made your travel arrangements yet, shoot for these months. Mauna loa, which is the secondtallest mountain on the big island, helps block trade winds that can more easily affect whale watching on the other hawaiian islands, especially in the afternoon. It is the largest and the southeasternmost of the hawaiian islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the north pacific ocean. Free gifts, no booking fees, and easy booking with travelshack. The ten deadliest snakes in the world with steve irwin real wild documentary duration. Mar 12, 2014 whale season in hawaii it takes lots of patience and time for me to share these wonderful graceful creatures with you. But if youre more than 12 miles away, you can listen to live whale songs online. We are hawaiis first dolphin smart recognized operator for proper viewing of dolphins. The months between november and may are whalewatching season in hawaii. They only would come to hawaii when they knew they could see whales, usually around february. Where to find the whales on each hawaiian island hawaii. Mar 24, 2017 hello whales from hawaii life real estate. Hawaiian islands humpback whale explore whale watching. Hawaii magazines landlubbers guide to whale watching in the.
Nearly 10,000 humpback whales make the long journey from the waters off southeastern alaska to mate, give birth and nurse their calves in warm hawaiian waters, where they are protected. Head for the coastlines of all hawaiian islands right now. During these winter months thousands of pacific humpback whales migrate from their summer feedings grounds in the waters off alaska to the warm hawaiian waters to mate and nurse their. Whale watching is a seasonal and very popular activity during the winter time in hawaii. Your vacation travel planning and activities guide for whale watching on the big island of hawaii. You can listen to the whales under water, spot them from. During the winter, between december and may, these majestic mammals swim all the way from alaska to mate and give birth in the warm tropical waters off the islands. On the island of hawaii, whales are often seen along the shores of the kohala. They best way to see them up close is typically a whalewatching tour.
Body glove offers a variety of cruises along the big island of hawaiis kona coast, including dolphin adventures, dinner cruises and whale watching tours. A snorkeler and a whale shark meet offshore north of ellison onizuka kona international airport on the big island. Nov 17, 2016 whale watching is a great big island activity. Jan 03, 2018 the ten deadliest snakes in the world with steve irwin real wild documentary duration. The most wonderful time of the year is whale watching season in hawaii. Contributed photo by bo pardau special to west hawaii today. Waikoloa whale watching 8am whale watch hawaii ocean sports offers wake up with the whales a 90 minute morning whale watch on a sailing catamaran, casting off from the shore of waikoloa. My husband and i will be on the big island from september 8 to the 15. Zodiac raft whale watching adventure is one of our favorites. Maui, kauai and the big island are the most popular islands for hawaii whale watching, so plan to visit one of these islands on your vacation.
We are looking at dan mcsweeneys whale watching tour. Seeing one of these 40ton, 40foot long giants breach the water is an unforgettable sight. Hawaiis humpback whale season technically begins in november when the gargantuan mammals make the long journey from cold north pacific ocean seas to calve in hawaiis famously warm waters. Theres plenty of whale watching tours or even snorkel tours to choose from. From december to may, you may catch a glimpse of a majestic kohola humpback whale off the island of hawaiis shorelines. Unlike the other main hawaiian islands of maui, oahu, and kauai, the big island offers ideal whale watching conditions throughout the day. Years before we moved to hawaii, my husbands family would come to hawaii in the winter to see whales. Come aboard winona for whale watching on the big island. Big island of hawaii whale watching tours one of the most popular and fun things to do on the big island in the winter months december through april is whale watching.
Jan 07, 2009 head for the coastlines of all hawaiian islands right now. Because your time is valuable we have prepared these 6 tips on whale watching to allow you. During the whale watching season in hawaii, whale sightings are nearly a sure thing. Whale and dolphin watching from shore on big island hawaii. Kauai offers a range of whaleviewing opportunities, including poipu beach on the south shore, kilauea lighthouse on the north shore and kapaa overlook on the islands coconut coast. And even then i dont know if there are whale watching tours specifically for them. Incredible sailing experiences and ample deck space 58 feet long by 28 feet wide make the sea smoke a favorite choice for excursions of all types.
We are aware that there will be no humpbacks in the area at that time of year. Humpback whales come to hawaii between november and april whale season, and the big island is our favorite of the hawaiian islands to go see the whales. Flip nicklinminden pictures the sanctuary ocean count provides hawaii residents and visitors with the opportunity to actively participate in evaluating the status of humpback whales. Wahine charters kona, hawaii swim with dolphins, mantas. This island often draws people that are looking for a mellow time in on a stunning location. Hawaii info guides big island whale watching results for visitors to the hawaiian islands. It takes hours of filming due to a large mass of ocean to scan over the. When youre in hawaii, you can listen underwater and hear the humpbacks whale song from up to 12 miles away. An adult humpback whale typically surfaces approximately every 10 to 15 minutes to witness the humpback whales breaching out of the water is spectacular.
Here in the hawaiian islands, however, the white clumps of water that signify winter are found in splashes and spouts, when between 10,000 and 15,000. It has to do with the depth, 600 feet is the magical number, but one big difference between the two locations is population of boats. Whale watching on the big island your big island experience. Humpback whales sure know where to vacation right here in hawaii. Waikoloa whale watching 8am whale watch hawaii ocean sports offers wake up with the whales a 90 minute morning whale watch on a sailing catamaran, casting off. This site needs to store information on your computer in the form of cookies to work. The last whales could stick around until april before they make their trek back to alaska. The sanctuary ocean count project offers the community a chance to monitor humpback whales from the shores of o.
On the island of hawaii, whales are often seen along the shores of the kohala coast, as well as hilo bay on the east side of the island. Most of big islands east side is unsuitable for whale watching, but occassionally whales can be seen from the highway near naalehu in the south, and off 4 mile beach near hilo in the northeast. Hawaii whale watching tours are generally only available during humpback season between november and april. Sanctuary ocean count hawaiian islands humpback whale. However, peak hawaii whale watching season occurs during february and march. Jan 03, 2011 the months between november and may are whale watching season in hawaii. Sep 17, 20 when youre in hawaii, you can listen underwater and hear the humpbacks whale song from up to 12 miles away. Where to whale watch in hawaii fodors travel guide.
Because your time is valuable we have prepared these 6 tips on whale watching to allow you to make the most out of your time. As many as 10,000 whales winter in island waters, a good number of them visible from. Every winter, over 5,000 humpback whales travel from alaska to hawaii. Oahu whale watching tours whale watching tours on oahu if youre fortunate enough to be visiting oahu during the months of novembermay give or take a couple of weeks either way, you absolutely must plan a whale watching tour. These gentle giants come to the warm hawaiian waters every year to breed and give birth to new calves. They best way to see them up close is typically a whale watching tour. From december to may, you may catch a glimpse of a majestic kohola humpback whale off the island of hawaii s shorelines. Whale watching on the big island 2020 big island of hawaii. Every winter, our humpback whales in hawaii make the 3,000mile journey from alaska to hawaii to. The sea smoke has won several awards, including accolades for voyages across the pacific ocean. You wont see as many on the big island, but if youre on the shore you should still be able to see some. There are several companies that offer big island whale watching tours.
The hamakua coast also hosts rare whale sightings, but these are few and far between. Make sure to book a tour early, as they fill up quickly. Now, there is a possibility of seeing pilot whales in kailuakona on the big island hawaii island. Since long before whale watching gained the enormous popularity it boasts today, captain dan mcsweeneys passion and caring for whales defined the character of his whale watching business. Big island whale and dolphin watching hawaii travel and. The humpback whales leave the icy waters of alaska and migrate 6000 miles to hawaii every year to give birth and care for their calves. Big island whale watching whale watching tours on the big. I would only suggest doing this if you happen to be staying there.
Body glove hawaii snorkel, dinner cruises, scuba diving. Whale watching on the big island mauna lani sea adventures. First humpback whale 20152016 season island of hawaii forum. Whale season in the islands hawaii real estate market. Whale watching on the big island offers more than just humpback sightings, too. Whales find boats a deadly hazard off hawaii nbc news.
Hawaii big island whale watching tours hawaii discount. Captain zodiac ocean rafting kona whale watch tour from honokohau harbor set out on a search for humpback whales on a speedy 24ft zodiac raft, and get a front row seat to see these majestic mammals in the beautiful waters of kona. Whale watching and snorkeling with turtles makes for a very good day. The count is held the last saturday of january, february, and march during peak whale season of each year from 8. Other good islands to go whale watching are maui and kauai. The first humpback whale sighting this year in hawaii was on september 29th near the small island of niihau. Here in the hawaiian islands, however, the white clumps of water that signify winter are found in splashes and spouts, when between 10,000 and 15,000 humpback whales arrive in hawaii for the. This is when thousands of pacific humpback whales make the journey from the waters off alaska to hawaiis warm waters to breed and give birth to their young. Hawaii island big island in many parts of the mainland u. We will begin processing online booking requests after september 1st, 2020 so please wait until then to submit your booking forms. First humpback whale 20152016 season island of hawaii. Here is a selection of big island whale watching tours or other cruises on which you are likely to see whales.
Its humpback whale season in hawaii hawaii magazine. Big island whale watching tour venture out with wahine charters and witness one of the largest animals on the planet on the best whale watching charter in hawaii. The kohala coast of the big island is a marine mammal sanctuary and provides these animals a warm and safe environment to give birth and tend to their young. A humpback whale leaps out of the water in what is called breaching, as viewed from a whale watching boat operated by the pacific whale foundation off maui. Whale watching on the big island of hawaii big island. See why body glove has the best on big island experienced guide, hear whales sing with hydrophone, spacious boat with bar, and sighting guarantee. Whale season in hawaii it takes lots of patience and time for me to share these wonderful graceful creatures with you. The benefit of the zodiac is that you are closer to the water, and. You might also spot some of the other whale species that make their home in these waters yearround sperm whales, pilot whales, pygmy killer whales and rare beaked whales as well as dolphin pods and curious sea turtles. From the beach, its always exciting to see that unexpected monumental splash offshore and know its a playing whale. December to april is an exciting time for the big island of hawaii because it marks whale watching season. Home blog 6 great whale watching tips whale watching is an activity that allows you see these enormous mammals in their natural habitat and play a role in their conservation. As many as 10,000 whales winter in island waters, a good number of them visible from our state.
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