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First humpback whale of the season spotted off Maui
By Star-Bulletin staff
POSTED: 09:41 a.m. HST, Oct 21, 2009
KAHANA, Maui >> The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary says Hawaii's whale season has begun.
The first reported sightings of humpback whales in the state came in Tuesday from people on Maui.
Last year, the whales were first spotted on Oct. 12.
Humpback whales migrate to Hawaii's warm waters around each year to breed and to give birth. They return to Alaska in the spring and summer to feed.
As many as 10,000 humpback whales may visit Hawaii waters in a single season.
Humpback whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.
"Yearn to understand first and to be understood second."
-- Beca Lewis Allen
"Yearn to understand first and to be understood second."
-- Beca Lewis Allen
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That is great. I had a dream last night that the whales were back. I am looking out at the ocean every day now with a much more careful eye.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
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sorry to be naive, but where else can one see the whales from this island besides at hale pali?
"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
w. james
"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
w. james
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Along any coastline! We've seen them from the bottom of Beaches/Shores subdivision, all along the Red Road, down by Kaimu & beyond, all over Hilo Bay, and out at Green Sand beach too, although that last was a pilot whale not a humpback. Just keep an eye peeled at all times! ;-)
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
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Anywhere along the coast, the Kona-Kohala coast offering the most frequent viewing.
Once I was way up on the Ka'u highway looking over the coast as we were coming down toward Na'alehu. From the passenger seat, I thought I saw a submarine hugging the coastline down below! Photographer Larry Kadooka was driving so we started tracking it only to get lower down and realize it was a whale. I realize these years later (after having seen the DVD series Planet Earth) that it MUST have been a right whale. Wish we could have gotten a pic!
Happy viewing...
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My buddy and I were diving off the break-wall 2 weeks ago and we heard their calls and clicks. It was freaky as hell but my buddy assured me we would be okay. We did not see anything or hear anything since but tomorrow we are going out again and I will be back with another "sonar" report...[:p]
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There was a sighting of Humpbacks in South Kona this morning...
There are quite a few "point-lines" around the east side, some of the better lines to look are Hilo bay - draw a line from the point at Pepe'ekeo Point (near where the old sugar mill was) to Richardsons/Leieiwi Point. (We were kayaking off of Richardsons last year, looking towards the coast, when there was a loud splash behind us, turned in time to see a large fluke ~100 yards away - and some of the Scuba Sunday Punawebbers have seen a humpback swimming along the rocks at Richardsons' in the winter months...)
HPP draw a line from Kaloli Point to the conservation land off of Maku'u.
Often times there will be whales along these sounding points... It is really fun once the babies start practicing their breaching & such... some are out of the water more than in at times...
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Sam, I am getting out my binoculars tomorrow! Are you diving for lobster?
Francine you know you are welcome to Hali Pali any time.
Here is a video I took of one "playing" with a cruise ship last winter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYWZ54aaikY
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
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Hey Dev, no "bugs" aka lobsters...
We dive for tako and I like kole (Yelloweye Surgeonfish)...
I just bought some new gear so I am going to test it out...
Crazy thing, it is very shallow all along the breakwall. 10-35ft. You can go out to the second-bend (middle of the break-wall) and it is still "only" about 30-35ft...
So hearing them makes me wonder how far away or where they were. But the "whale-songs" was freaky as heck. My buddy told me it could have been male mating calls and whatnot. What ever it was scared me...[8D]
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Sam there is a guy that spears tako by the park between Coconut Island and the parking lot. I have seen him bring up big ones recently. I have some fun pics of his catches. He has three buddies that sit there and wait on what he brings up.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
