Whale Watch!

Quote of the day:

[the whale groans]
Dory: Okay, he either said, “move to the back of the throat,” or he “wants a root beer float”.

— Finding Nemo

Humpback Whale – one of the largest creatures of the oceans

I went on a whale-watching cruise over on the Kona side on Tuesday. We gathered before sunrise at the dock. The light was amazing as morning began to awaken. There were about 25 of us on the boat. We went in search of humpback whales which winter in the warm waters off the coast of Hawaii. They come from the cold waters of Alaska every year, usually from the months of December through March.

Early Morning Light in the Harbor

As we got underway I marveled at the beauty of the light in the sky and on the water. I got to see the sunrise over the Kona hills shortly after we embarked.

Our Whale-watching boat

We headed out to waters over 1000 feet deep but then reached a 200-400 foot deep shelf along the coast north of the airport where humpback whales hang out a lot. The photos I got were not great as when you’re on a moving boat with over 20 other people also jostling to get the shot, shots are limited, but I was there primarily to see and experience these wonderful creatures in the wild, not to photograph them.

Early Morning Sky and Sea

First we saw a couple of spouts and tails appear in the distance. We stopped and waited for them to surface again. It was a 17 minute wait – our captain informed us that when whales are resting, it can be up to 30 minutes between breaths.

Sunrise over the Kona Hills

We continued heading north and ran across a group of humpbacks that were surfacing frequently. Our guide (Captain Dan McSweeney, a whale researcher) suggested that it was a group of 3 males competing for the attentions of 1 female.

The day brightens

The humpback whales are magnificent and as large as a bus. We didn’t see any breach the water fully but got lots of views of the mid-body, tails, and one head. I could have watched them all day.