Aloha,
Monthly Archives: December 2014
Windy Weather but Plenty of Action
Aloha,
Thar She Blows Again and Again!
Aloha,
Two Spouting Humpbacks
Aloha,
Guests aboard our Thursday Wake up With the Whales saw two different Humpbacks. They were on pretty long dive cycles, just coming up to spout a few times before heading back under water. We stayed with these two for the whole cruise and spent their underwater time talking about what we know about Humpbacks and waiting for them to resurface. Seeing those spouts makes all the anticipation worth the wait!
Mahalo,
Claire
Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day:When a Humpback spouts, he’s exhaling in a half of a second, 90% of the volume of air in his lungs. It’s enough air in one blow to fill up the interior of a stretch limousine. In case you’re curious, when an average size human adult exhales, he takes 3 times as long to exhale just 15% of the volume of air in his lungs — and an adult human exhalation wouldn’t even fill up a Smart Car — it’s only enough air to fill up a lunch bag.
A Little Song, A Little Dance
Aloha,
Mating Mantas Surround the Humpbacks
Aloha,
Tuesday’s Wake Up With the Whales was a really fun cruise. We got to see 6 different Humpbacks, and…they were active on the surface! We saw breaches and pectoral slaps, but since this is just the beginning of the season we were too excited to keep an accurate count on how many of each. Captain Mike reports that what really blew him away though was watching two dozen Manta Rays swimming all around the whales! According to Captain Nick (who would know) this is mating season for Manta Rays, so that might explain the action. When we got an opportunity to lower the hydrophone, we heard some very clear singing for the first time this season.
Mahalo,
Claire
Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day: It takes an average of just under 3 months for the Humpbacks to migrate from the summer feeding grounds in Alaska to Hawaii (although at least one Humpback was seen in Alaska and then in Hawaii just 45 days later). That means the Humpbacks are generally swimming at a speed of about 1 -2 knots (which is the speed we travel when ambling)!
Not a Fluke at All
Aloha,
Weekend Recap – Lots of Action
“Two whales were spotted today right in front of the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort traveling north. Two of them were splashing, tail flaps, and playing around. The guests (and some employees) at Lagoon Grill were so excited to see this spectacle, so they dropped their lunch and went to get a closer look…YAYYY!!! whales are here. so exciting”!
6 pods? Unbelievable!
Aloha,
Grunts and Groans from Below
Aloha,