Big Island’s Best Whale Watching Tours: Your Ultimate Guide
One of the most popular tours for anyone planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands, is a whale watch. Not only does it ensure a fun day out on the water, but you get the chance to see some of the world’s largest mammals, playing in their natural habitat.
The Hawaiian islands are also home to both seasonal and native whale species. From humpbacks who travel to Kona’s tropical waters from Winter to Spring to the pilot whales who prefer Hawaii’s deeper waters, year-round.
Experience the Magic of Whales on Big Island
From about December to April is the peak whale season in Hawaii. Most popularly known as the time when humpback whales choose to travel to the warm tropical waters from Alaska; there are other, equally amazing, whale populations who also frequent the Big Island during these months.
On a whale watching tour, you can expect fun in the sun; relaxing on the boat as pods of whales pass by, some may stop to investigate your boat. You will also get to learn so much about these sea creatures. Many Kona captains and crew members, who guide whale watching tours, are rife with knowledge about these marine populations. They can answer any questions on their journey to Hawaii and even the details on how they communicate and interact with each other.
Why Big Island Whale Watching is the Experience of a Lifetime
Beyond being able to see humpback pods glide past your vessel, while out on the water, a whale watching experience on the Big Island is truly the trip of a lifetime. As mentioned, you will get the chance to learn about each and every species of whale that you may encounter while out on the water. These lessons range from how male whales communicate through song, to what competition pods are, and even recognizing specific humpback whales who are known to return to the Hawaiian islands each year.
When you book your whale watching tour in Hawaii, you are signing on to the most intimate experience you can have with these mammals– in a safe way for both you and the animal. When a whale pod approaches your boat they may choose to swim around, tail slap, fin slap, or even fully breach out of the water, a hundred yards or less away! Some whales are even known to swim under the boats!
Discover the Wonder of Humpback Whales on Big Island’s Whale Watching Tours
The most popular whale that people look for while on a whale watching tour in Hawaii is the humpback whales. This particular whale species is arguably native to Hawaii, although it does not live there year-round. Female humpback whales travel to the waters around Kona and Hilo in order to either mate with male humpback whales or give birth to their whale calves that were conceived the previous year. When these baby humpbacks are born, they swim around with their mothers in the warm, shallow, Hawaiian waters until they build up enough strength and blubber to survive the weeks-long journey back to Alaska!
There is so much to see in addition to the seasonal humpback whales. If you want to discover all that the Big Island whale population has to offer and enjoy a fun and educational day out on the water, be sure to book your whale watching tour for your next visit!