Tuesday started off very nicely for us and our guests. We saw 6 different humpbacks during our Wake Up with the Whales Cruise. 4 of them were hanging out together. We didn’t see any wild surface activity from any of these whales, so maybe they were enjoying the calm winds and sea conditions as much as we were. On our 10:00 Whale Watch out of Kawaihae, we got to see 5 different pods of two whales. We paralleled one pod for awhile keeping a respectable 200 yards away for most of the cruise, and then the pod decided to swim over to check us out. There’s something so incredible about getting to hear a whale spout — still gives us chicken skin! Finally, on our Whales and Cocktails Cruise, we saw 8 different whales, all in pods of two. One pod found us interesting enough to swing by for a closer look. We also saw a few tail lobs from some other Humpbacks, and when we lowered the hydrophone we got to hear some clear, but not real loud, singing.

Mahalo,

Claire

Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day: In 1966, the International Whaling Commission placed humpbacks under protection in the North Pacific. In the United States, the National Marine Fisheries Service enforces regulations designed to protect humpbacks as designated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Basically, vessels, swimmers and divers cannot approach a humpback within 100 yards, herd or drive them from any distance, separate a cow from her calf, or “substantially disrupt the normal activities of a humpback”. Aircraft must stay more than 1000 feet above the whales.