Thar She Blows!

Whale season came early this year to Hawaii Island, with the first sightings of the long-distance vacationing leviathans in mid-October, about a month earlier than usual.

Every year humpback whales – one of the largest mammals on the planet – make the trip from their summer feeding grounds in Alaska to the boudoirs and birthing bays of Hawaii. One of the best places to see the babies, pregnant moms and their hopeful suitors, say oceanographers, is just offshore of Hawaii Island.

Where exactly?

“Though the whales can be seen from any of the major Hawaiian islands,
the leeward coast of the Big Island, particularly North and South
Kohala, provides protected waters where whales are likely to be spotted
during the 3-month high season, January to March,” says Justin
Viezbicke, Hawaii Island coordinator for the “Hawaiian Islands Humpback
Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

For optimal viewing, find a spot “near the shoreline and slightly above sea level,” said National Marine Sanctuary Co-manager Jeff Walters in the article. He noted that the whales “seem to be more active in the morning, and their activity will be easier to see on days with less wind.”

Want to help count this year’s population of humpbacks in Hawaii waters?
A census will be taken on dates in Jan., Feb, and March. To take part, call
1-888-55-Whale (1-888-559-4253).

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