Aloha,
We had a fun day on the water on Wednesday. We took both Seasmoke and Manu Iwa out for the Breakfast with the Whales Cruise. Our captains kept the boats fairly close to each other so guests on both boats shared similar experiences and sightings. We each got to watch a Mother and her very young calf resting as they swam slowly up the coast. They appeared to be unescorted by a male (or if there was an escort, he was following them from underneath). On the other end of the spectrum, we watched the formation of a competitive pod as 9 Humpbacks joined together. And, for a grand finale, we were all surprised by a double breach just off shore of the Mauna Lani Hotel!
Mahalo,
Claire
Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day: Research suggests that most Humpbacks who come to Hawaii don’t spend the entire winter with us. An average stay lasts between a month and 6 weeks. Possible exceptions to this rule include dominant males, who may spend more time here to optimize mating opportunities, and females who give birth after arriving in Hawaii. They might spend a little longer here so that their calves can grow large enough to successfully swim back to Alaska.