Any sort of water activities, fishing or scuba diving, off the Kohala coast of Hawaii’s Big Island in winter involves a chance of seeing a whale. Boat or drive north of Kawaihae and the odds approach certainty that you will see not just a few, but a lot of Humpback whales as they cruise the waters along this sheltered coastline. Rental cars are parked along the coastal highway wherever a pod can be seen. Just navigating a small boat to a dive site can involve navigating around a pod or two as blows and fins are seen in all directions. Dive beneath the water and you can listen to the songs of the whales echoing eerily through the blue.
A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) diving off Point Adolphus, photo by Andrew Cooper
During the winter these whales can be found in large numbers around all of the Hawaiian Islands. They come here to mate and give birth in the warm tropical waters. The most sheltered areas in the lee of the large islands have the greatest concentrations, this includes the Kona and Kohala coast if the Big Island. Through January, February and March the whales can be seen all along the coast. Much of these waters have been designated the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to protect these unique animals during their winter stay.
Come spring the Hawaiian population of whales head north, to the rich waters of Alaska. The activity of the whales is different at either end of the journey, in Hawaii they pretty much just hang out and sing, slowly cruising the coast or just hovering below the surface for many hours. In Alaska it is all about eating, here you watch whales circling through food rich areas over and over. Sometimes the whales cooperate to create bubble nets, encircling shoals of krill or herring.
In past journeys to Alaska I have had many opportunities to watch and photograph the whales. I appreciate any chance to spend time with these magnificent animals. At the end of my trip I return to Hawai’i. When winter comes the Humpbacks will follow, returning to the warm tropical waters around the islands to mate and give birth to the next generation. Seeing the whales in both Alaska and Hawai’i is something special. I look forward to watching them off the Kohala Coast and listening to their songs while diving in those warm waters. What are the odds of encountering the same whale at both ends of this journey?
