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The Waimanalo area provides some good sites for viewing whales. They are often spotted between Rabbit Island and Makapu'u Point. They're back! Have you sighted any of the largest winter visitors to our islands? No, not overweight tourists--Humpback whales! They're about 45 feet long, weigh about 80,000 pounds, and have been designated our State Marine Mammal. Around 2,000 Humpback whales migrate from Alaskan waters and are seen in Hawaii from November to April. So we should have at least another month of good whale watching opportunities.
These mammals come to our warmer waters to give birth and to mate, conceiving the calves that will be born the next year. Calves are born without the thick layer of blubber (fat) that they need to keep warm in the colder ocean of their summer feeding grounds. Therefore, they need to rely on their mother's milk to develop that insulation. Newborn calves weigh over a ton and are about 10 to 12 feet long. They double their length in the first year. Adult whales are "seasonally anorexic"--they don't eat during the 4-5 months in Hawaii. They live off the blubber they have accumulated by eating vast amounts of krill (small shrimps) in Alaskan waters. Instead of teeth these whales have plates of baleen (keratin, the same substance as our fingernails) hanging from their upper jaws. Large quantities of water are forced through the baleen, and the remaining krill and small fish are licked off by the whale's tongue.
Humpback whales travel in groups of two or more called pods. By this time of year it is likely that most calves have already been born, so mother and calf pairs are frequently seen. Often they are accompanied by a third whale called an escort, generally assumed to be a sexually active male who remains with the mother and calf for less than a day. Males and females do not form long-term bonds. In Hawaii the whales often exhibit aggressive activities, competing for access to females.
The Waimanalo area provides some good sites for viewing whales. They are often spotted between Rabbit Island and Makapu'u Point. The Makapu'u lookout and (if you feel like a hike) the lighthouse overlook provide a wide, elevated ocean view. Lana'i lookout, the Blowhole lookout, and Sandy Beach are also areas of frequent sightings. Binoculars are recommended for a close-up view, but many behaviors can be seen with the naked eye.
What to watch for:
Slowly scan the horizon back and forth for at least 30 minutes. Look for a "blow" or exhale that looks like a puff of white smoke that rises 10 to 20 feet in the air and hangs there for several seconds. Watch for splashing caused by surface activity. Stay with the "blow" and/or splashing. Whales often have periodic blow and splash patterns, making frequent shallow dives before a longer, deeper dive.
Humpbacks are the most acrobatic of whales with many behaviors visible at the surface. Here are some to look for:
For more information call the Sea Life Park Education Center at 259-6476. They have brochures on whales and whale watching. Happy whale watching!
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