PHOTO: GETTY IMAGE
Anyone who climbs aboard a vessel this time of year and heads for the open ocean off Kaua‘i can expect to see HUMPBACK WHALES . There are so many of them that most boat companies don’t hesitate to guarantee sightings.
Every year, humpback whales swim 3,000 miles from their summer feeding grounds in Alaska to mate and calve in Hawai‘i’s clear, warm waters. The whales don’t arrive en masse, but researchers say there is a predictable order to their appearance in our waters. Generally, numbers peak in LATE DECEMBER THROUGH MID-APRIL .
Protected under endangered species laws, the humpback population is growing. In fact, an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 humpbacks are expected to cruise through Hawai‘i’s waters this season, coming and going at their own pace.
There are many ways to observe a humpback whale in the wild. SNORKEL CRUISES are a good bet, as are POWERED RAFTS and FISHING BOATS , which also travel into humpback territory.
Some excellent shoreline viewing sites include Po‘ipū Beach on Kaua‘i’s South Shore; Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse on the North Shore; and from Kapa‘a Overlook, located between Kapa‘a Town and Keālia Beach on the island’s east side.
BLUE DOLPHIN CHARTERS 808-335-5553
CAPTAIN ANDY’S SAILING ADVENTURES 808-335-6833
HOLO HOLO CHARTERS 808-335-0815
KAUA‘I SEA TOURS 800-733-7997 OR 808-335-5309
NĀ PALI RIDERS 808-742-6331
