Whales 2011

[Carey]

The Feb. 2011 whale counts are out!
Just scroll down to your favorite whale watching site to find the numbers - Hawai`i Island averaged 4 sitings per 15min.
http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/invo...mfeb11.pdf

[Chuysmom]

When I am up at Honoli'i each week I get the opportunity to watch many, many of them playing, spouting and doing full breaches out of the water. I've never seen so many whales in all the time I've lived here as I do from this vantage point! On Wednesday I saw about the biggest whale I have ever seen...I swear it was like a school bus in the water!

Just awesome!

[macuu222]

Wow...Didn't see anything along the HPP coast!

[robguz]

Last year in Feb, I saw them many times in front of Seaview, and in the distance from Kehena. It seemed every time in Feb we went to the coast to look for them we'd see them. This year hardly at all. Several tail slaps was the most we'd seen vs last year when we saw many breaches, far more spouting. We were in Keahou last weekend and all we saw from there was some brief distant spouting, and saw none from the beaches we were at. Does seem like fewer this year. It's weird.

[Chuysmom]

I was told that they like to play between that point past Richardson's in Keaukaha and Laupahoehoe...they are outside the bay there. The cows come in closer to birth where it's safer and then head out slowly. I saw one momma breach more than 10 times quickly and then there was a pause and then a full breach from her calf! Looked like she was teaching the calf how to do it!

I used to go down to the end of Kahakai and sit for a couple of hours and maybe see some spouting wayyy off in the distance. I did see a breach or two but they were really out there.

[Scott_S]

We just got back from a five day camping trip north of Kona, and they entertained us the whole time. Body slams, tail bashing, the calves playing, it was incredible.

[mella l]

Does this season seem more active than then last?



mella l

Art and Science Our Future

bytheseasoap.com

[TomK]

Mella - I've heard more whales at night than ever before but have seen less during the day. Having said that, I was lucky enough to be in Hilo Bay on Friday just after someone said they haven't seen any whales this season, and for the next 10 minutes we were whatching them breach all over the place!

From my perspective it's been a very active season but it's so subjective and just depends if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully the surveys will provide more objective data.

Tom

http://apacificview.blogspot.com/

[Chuysmom]

@Tom - Yes! They seem to love to play in the late morning/early afternoon. I am thrilled I get to see so many of them breaching and playing...and many calf too! The cool thing is that since the calf has to breathe more frequently, the adults are up top more often too!

[Obie]

I have been watching the whales here in Vacationland and see them nearly every day when I watch between 4 and 6 pm.
Guess they were being shy on the days of the official count.