See if you can spot the whales as you watch this tour out honolulu harbor along waikiki beach in beautiful oahu, hawaii. The companys unique sailing catamaran ensures a comfortable, smooth sailing experience upon which to enjoy a. Whale watching is a seasonal and very popular activity during the winter time in hawaii. Click on the chart number to download a portable document format pdf of the chart. At oahu diving we occasionally get the honors of seeing and yes swimming with these majestic big mammals of the sea. The whole family will enjoy it with our educational kids. A pod of four killer whales, orca whales, was found by cascadia research collective on friday 111 off the coast of kona hawaii. We offer the best whale watching on oahu and the only whale watching tour on the north shore, sunset tours, snorkeling tours seasonal, and a sun and moon cruise. If that isnt possible, go over by the blowhole or up to pupukea on the north shore. Hop aboard your vessel and enjoy a smooth ride past scenic views of iconic diamond head and waikiki beach. Oct 03, 2019 docents will provide great information and free help to get you whale watching. Hi we are staying on turtle island and want to do a whale watching tour can you tell me which one is the best. You will find excellent viewing points along oahu s north shore, easternmost tip, and southern shore.
Whalewatching cruise with optional breakfast or lunch viator. The network is part of the larger pacific islands marine mammal response network headed by noaa fisheries. Look for the paved pull off area on the ocean side of the highway. Breaching refers to a whale launching itself out of the water, and falling back with a massive splash and is a common sight from shore. With a small group of people, watch the gentle giants swim, feed, breach and play around your boat. Go here from your mobile device and click your account to create a user login.
Sep 26, 2017 where you go to see humpbacks in hawaii is as important as when you go. Humpback whale, honolulu, oahu, hawaii stock photo image of. You wont have to go far from honolulu to see whales. Boat tours and whale watching cruises, for instance, have become increasingly popular, with both commercial and private tour companies offering all. Viewing whales up close on an oahu vacation is a real treat, especially if you get to see humpback whales breaching, in which they leap out of the water and return with an explosive splash. If you dont see whales on any of our whale watchspecific trips, come back again 1 more time for free on trip of equal or lesser value. On the southern end of the island, visitors make their way to makapuu lighthouse for a heightened view of the ocean, searching for a glimpse of a humpback whale. Whale watching waikiki coast star of honolulu tour. But humpback whales visit the hawaiian islands every year from november to may, so its possible that you can see whales outside of that january to march peak whale season too. The crew was very courteous and knowledgeable about the marine life we were lucky enough to see andor snorkel with, which included 56 sea turtles, pacific bottlenose dolphins and a humpback whale out of season. And the islands are home to a large national humpback whale marine sanctuary, which encompasses near shore waters off six islands.
If one is seeking to enjoy an encounter with the species, there are myriad options available. Whale watching in oahu is an activity many visitors look forward to, and for good reason. The hawaiian islands large whale entanglement response network is a communitybased network that is coordinated by ed lyman of the hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary. You wont see nearly as many as you would from maui, they get the largest concentration of them. From december to may, you may catch a glimpse of a majestic kohola, or humpback whale, in oahu s southern seas. Whale watching on oahu from december to may, you may catch a glimpse of a majestic kohola, or humpback whale, in oahu s southern seas. Learn about hawaiis marine animals from the onboard naturalist. Whale watching on oahu graceful and gentle giants of the ocean, arching, breaching, and frolicking, hawaii s humpback whales take center stage during whale season. Humpback whales have returned and free whale watching in hawaii is really possible. Proud to be the only whale watching tour servicing the idyllic north shore of oahu, north shore catamarans offers several types of exciting tours, including sunset tours, snorkeling tours seasonal and even a sun and moon cruise.
Scuba diving hawaii humpback whales whales in hawaii humpback whale season december to may. This is only the groups third encounter with the killer whales even though they have been monitoring the hawaiian waters for 14 years. The site is a bare and steep in some places area that runs along the cliff faces of portlock and may be slippery when wet. Your oahu whale watching cruise begins either with pickup from your hotel if option selected or at the pier. Enjoy some of the best whale watching in oahu and learn about humpback whales from our naturalist crew. See also the hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary, the office of national marine sanctuaries and noaas national ocean service. The makapuu lighthouse trail is an ideal viewing spot on oahu. If you want to see whales from oahu your best bet would be to take some kind of boat tour. Hawaii institute of marine biology, honolulu, hawaii. Excellent site for whale watching due to its elevation, though binoculars are recommended. On the main island hawaii, most tour operators can be found in kailuakona, keauhou bay, hohnokahau harbour and the kohala coast.
This map shows humpback whale surface sightings and. Robin baird of cascadia research provided the whale data in this application, which lets you follow sperm, beaked, false killer, and pigmy killer whales as they migrate around the hawaiian islands. North shore catamaran charters offers several types of tours that you are sure to enjoy. Pwf launches whale and dolphin tracker app maui now hawaii. Small group 610 passengers charters include yearround whale watching, swimming with dolphins, and snorkeling with giant sea turtles and endemic tropical reef fish. Go whale watching off the coast of oahu on this excursion from waikiki or ko olina. Try familyfriendly cultural activities such as making leis, dancing hula or playing ukelele. The following map indicates the density of humpback whale sightings in hawaii. Schedule a tour or charter a boat to spot these magnificent creatures.
Hawaiian islands humpback whale marine life top 10 whale. The slapping of a whales fin against the waters surface. When is the best time to see humpback whales in hawaii and. Barely any whale watching tours start from the other islands. Weve enjoyed whale watching near diamond head, from sandy beach to makapuu, at hanauma bay and generally along south and west facing shores. Boats will take you out as close as they are allowed by law. Between 1800 and 1987, over 300,000 sperm whales were killed in the north pacific. The west side of oahu isnt bad for whale watching either. Are there any whale watching boat tours and is the end of march a good time to see whales in oahu. Hawaii statewide gis program, office of planning, state of hawaii. On any boating adventure, there will be the opportunity to watch numerous whales displaying a variety of behaviors, such as the tail slap or pec slap the whale will raise its tail fluke or fin and slap it on the surface of the water, which. Weve been to oahu, maui, and the big island but only in late may and june, but we are looking to take my mom in february to oahu and i was wondering if you can see whales on oahu.
Humpback whale season is around november march in oahu and they are just. During the months from december to may, pods of humpback whales migrate through hawaiis warm waters, and this tour guarantees whale sightings. Hawaiian islands humpback whale get involved sanctuary. From the low to high designations, you can see that the highest concentrations are. If you dont see whales on any of our whale watchspecific trips, come back again 1 more time for free. Near mile marker 8 on the honoapiiliani highway, between the town of maalaea and lahaina. Hawaiian islands humpback whale resource protection. On kauai most tours start at port allen, on oahu at honolulu both rather focusing on dolphins than whales. Oahu s only marinebiologist founded and led ocean wildlife tours. Follow a rather steep public access trail that runs between the homes.
Views are excellent for whale watching, though the area tends to be windy. Humpback whales in hawaii with oahu diving whale watching tour. The last whale counts from oahu showed the largest amount were seen from the north shore. Catamaran sailing is one of the most popular activities in hawaii.
Grab an airconditioned spot indoors or on the outdoor viewing decks as you glide through the noaa whale sanctuary of maunalua bay. The sounds of sperm whales have been recorded throughout the year off oahu. If no whales are sighted during your cruise guests can go out again for free. And for those lucky enough to experience this once in a lifetime influx of such extraordinary creatures these sea stars offer performances worthy of oscars, it is truly a. Jan 27, 2016 we wanted to see how close we can get to the humpback whales here in oahu. Bairds larger research project studying the movements and habitats of whales in this part of the pacific ocean. Of the 18 species of odontocetes in hawaiian waters, until december 2012 only one was listed as endangered under the u. Oahu whale watching tours whale watching tours on oahu if youre fortunate enough to be visiting oahu during the months of novembermay give or take a couple of weeks either way, you absolutely must plan a whale watching tour. There are at about 10,000 to 15,000 humpback whales in the world, and over 1,000 of them visit the tropical waters of hawaii every year at the end of november. Both tours are truly dedicated to the oahu whale watching experience, and expert naturalists share insightful information and educational commentary on the humpback whales behavior and biology.
The gentle giants come to the warm hawaiian waters every year to breed and give birth to new calves. That while their season in hawaii isnt normally set to get underway for about a month. Both tours are truly dedicated to the oahu whale watching experience, and expert naturalists share insightful information and educational commentary on the humpback whale s behavior and biology. Where to watch humpback whales from shore across hawaii. Whale shark photos by kara benson, wild side crew member.
There are fabulous whale watching tours on kauai, the island of oahu, and off the shores of big island. In fact, whale watching is one of oahus main attractions, drawing onlookers from across the world. Whaletrips hawaii the best tips for whale watching in hawaii. If whale watching is important to you, i would highly recommend going to maui or oahu. On the north shore of oahu and the easternmost tip. We went out on feb 1118 and saw humpback whales, spinner dauphins which we swam along side, pilot whales, and got to snorkel with green sea turtles at a turtle cleaning. So if you book a ride on any of oahus many boat or rafting tours during humpback season, dont be surprised if youre guaranteed sightings. Portion of proceeds donated to marine conservation orgs. For a leisure midday whale experience, choose the stars popular premier whale watch cruise. Try handson hawaiian culture activities such as lei making, ukulele and hula lessons. There has been numerous times where we have actually had humpback whales swim right by us on a particular reef. Under federal protection, the humpback population is steadily rising. A humpback whale breaches off the coast of oahu in hawaii. Upgrade to include a breakfast or lunch buffet, or hotel transport.
According to noaa, the peak season for whale watching in oahu is january to march. Whale watching tour all islands although whale watching tours are offered on all of the islands, maui is known to be the best place to see them. Oahu tourism oahu hotels oahu bed and breakfast oahu vacation rentals oahu vacation packages flights to oahu oahu restaurants things to do in oahu oahu travel forum oahu photos oahu map oahu travel guide. Whale watching in oahu in march oahu forum tripadvisor.
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