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Marine Naturalist - Jonathan Opay 2007 Whale Journal

By our on-board Marine Naturalist, Jonathan Opey

FEBRUARY

02/28/07 (Wednesday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Today's trip turned out to be one of those exciting, but unusual ones...kind of like the feeling you got when you were a kid and it was Christmas morning and you couldn't wait to get out of bed and see what Santa had left for you. Well the whales, (Megaptera Novaeangliae) put on a show for us this afternoon! From the horizon to right next to the boat we had activity of all kinds. There were huge explosions of white water off in the distance and a mother & calf swimming right by the boat. We also had several lunges in full view of all on board, followed by an awesome display of strength by a tail-lobing female fending off 4 males who were bound and determined to be in the alpha position. The 'alpha' position is the one closest to the female. The male in that position has the best chance of mating with her. We saw one female on her back resting, while other males slugged it out waiting for her to resume the chase. With the weather closing in on us we deployed the hydro-phone to see if there were any males in the area, and sure enough we heard a ton of whales just singing away. After explaining what everyone was listening to, we then began to head for home when we saw a huge pod of spinner dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), playing near the surface, before I could even begin talking, they were on us and all around us. It is fun to watch grown ups reduced to acting like children, getting excited and running from one side of the boat to the other just to get a glimpse of the elusive cetaceans, who after wowing us swam off as if nothing had ever happened. The icing on the proverbial cake today was an awesome rainbow that stretched from one end of the sky to the other. This was end of a perfect whale watching experience. But don't take my word for it, come see for yourselves...we'll save you a seat. Till then Aloha, Jonathan
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02/27/07 (Tuesday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Things are getting hotter by the day on the 'Lek'!! We'd just arrived when there was a five-whale heat run in progress. The female was leading the chase, but the sounds that the bulls were making were those of males intent on getting their way! I've not seen such a heated display of aggression in quite a while...not since earlier in the season. We watched and waited, it seemed like something really spectacular was going to happen at any moment. Shortly thereafter it did! I still can't believe I actually saw this, but here goes: We saw a total of 21 breaches - that in and of itself would have made for an awesome trip. However, during this aerial display a mother Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) was showing her calf how to breach, it was so touching to watch this little body try to launch itself skyward time after time. Then as the little calf watched with its head out of the water, mom launched herself so high that she completely cleared the water, those of us on the boat were transfixed by the event unfolding before us...and of course when she landed we all cheered very excitedly. How do you follow something like that? How about a full-grown male lunging his way across your field of view? Works for me! Then the peck-slaps started, and the tail-lobs, and before you knew it we had activity all around the boat. In any direction you could see a whale doing something that would keep you looking and hoping - hoping that once again you could have that WOW feeling! After we deployed the hydro-phone, someone asked if all the vocalizations were typical of a whale watch...I assured them that we've heard whales on every trip this year. As we were leaving the 'Lek' a pod of Nai'a showed up (Stenella Longirostris) and swam with us, entertaining us with their antics, in the bow wake, and the stern wake. By then we were heading home content and telling stories of how magnificent today's trip had been. If you had been there you would have seen it for yourself. So what are you waiting for? Come on and join us for a fun-filled afternoon aboard the best viewing platform on the Kona Coast! We'll save a seat for ya, ‘till then, Aloha...Jonathan
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02/26/07 (Monday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
We had such a great time today - yes we saw lots of whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), but it was the energy on the boat that was unique. It seemed that everyone I spoke with was so stoked to be on board and going to find whales. Like little children there was an air of wonder, not knowing what to expect, but knowing that something really good was about to occur. It didn't take long…we'd barely gotten on the 'Lek' when a mother and calf showed up. The mother breached and the calf did a half breach as if to say "just wait I can do better". After a few more attempts he/she performed an incredible breach getting just about all of their little body out of the water. It was like we were all cheering on the little whale that could. After breaching, the little whale spy-hopped twice and then disappeared with mom beneath the waves. We on the other hand headed north to find more sightings. Further up the coast we encountered a whale that breached right in front of the boat, but most of us were looking to the starboard side at another whale so most of us missed that one. But then right before our eyes rocketing skyward there was an incredible breach followed by one of the largest splashes we'd seen in some time. Then while we were still excited by what we had just seen, the dolphins (Stenella Longirostris) showed up. They swam all around the boat, and took the air of excitement on the boat to a whole new level. There were many more sightings along the way home, but once we were underway everyone was laughing and exchanging stories and genuinely having an awesome time. Well before we knew it we were back at Keauhou Bay and it was time to disembark. After such a wonderful time no one wanted to go home...but alas we had to say Aloha to all our new friends with the understanding that when they returned they would stay longer next time. Well that's all for now see ya next time for another thrilling whale watching adventure till then Aloha, Jonathan
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02/25/07 (Sunday)
Aloha and welcome,
Today was a picture perfect day, blue sky and very calm seas. We seemed to fly getting up to the 'Lek'. I can't tell you how many times people have said "how fast and smooth" our boat is, and they're right!! Once in position there were humpbacks all around the boat, however they seemed to be the shy type, sounding when we approached and diving for extensive down times. So we decided to run north, and this turned out to be a good decision. Just 2 more miles up the coast we encountered several Humpbacks (Megaptera Novaeangliae), involved in a heat run. It was captivating to watch how the female would lead these 3 males, in straight lines, then in circles, all the while trying to put some distance between herself and them. As the males came up to breathe, you could hear very loud and forceful exhalations. As a matter of fact someone asked about whales breathing. The air inside their lungs is being expelled under tremendous muscular pressure, at over 300 mph, or 49ft. per second. That's why the breath looks like a mist, or a puff of smoke. And for every one breath that a humpback takes, if we were to try and match it, we'd have to take over 3,000. Once again we decided to journey up the coast, because of more sightings, and in the midst of a group of whales, we deployed the hydrophone. You could literally see people's faces come alive when they heard the singing, some for the first ever, and for others it was like hearing a familiar voice. We got to witness several breaches, 2 were very close and 4 were out on the horizon. By now it was time to begin heading home, everyone had big smiles on their faces, and most were engaged in conversation regarding whales and everything that they had just experienced. All along the way home we saw whales, and before you knew it we were back at our home port of Keauhou Bay, the conclusion of another successful whale watch. Come join us for an afternoon of adventure and wonder aboard the sleek Hula Kai, we'll be looking for ya. 'Till then, Aloha, Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/24/07 (Saturday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Today the whales began showing up almost as soon as we arrived on the 'Lek' - and once we got there they put on quite a show. We'd barely started looking when in the 3:00 position they put on a dynamic display of power, grace, and agility that would be hard to rival anywhere else in the animal kingdom. The more I see of these giants of the deep, the more I realize that our futures are intertwined...if they don't make it as a species, neither will we! It's just that simple. As I watched 2 huge Humpbacks (Megaptera Novaeangliae) deftly swim under the boat and surface close enough to be able to jump overboard and land on their backs.....what struck me was the joy and excitement that I saw in the face of a little girl who had never seen live whales before, or the elderly lady that had a smile on her face that seemed to take her somewhere beyond the deck of the Hula Kai....or the couple from Europe who had traveled all the way to these islands just to see these magnificent creatures. This is priceless!! How do you begin to relate experiences such as these to people who've never had them? I can only try to convey a fraction of what really goes on during these excursions into the very depths of our being. It's as if by seeing these whales part of us is set free, that spirit in all of us that yearns to be wild and at one with nature. We also deployed the hydrophone, and heard whales singing their collective hearts out. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tail-lobing, especially since there were 24 in a row!!! In so many ways this trip was very unique, and yet it had elements of all of our other trips combined into an afternoon of firsts, and memories that won't soon be forgotten. Come join us for an afternoon of pure magic, and you can have your own whale watch adventure to remember. ‘Till then, Aloha...Jonathan
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02/23/07 (Friday)
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Aloha and welcome aboard,
If I had to describe Friday's whale watch with two words, they would be “delayed gratification”. Don't get me wrong…we had an exhilarating experience - it's just that the whales kept the best till the end of our trip. What I'm trying to say is usually we arrive on the 'Lek' and there are whales in every direction, however today they were few and far between. Thoughts went through my mind, like "I know they are still here, but where are they hiding"? Even as they began to show themselves the numbers were still down compared to previous trips...hhmmm - then at last we had groupings of 2 then 3 and so on. It seemed like things were getting back to normal, or so we thought. Then once again the humpbacks would disappear with no trace that they were ever there, except for a rapidly dissipating 'Footprint'. At this point we decided to continue to head north in search of more cetaceans, we found a very large pod of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), and they seemed playful enough - riding our bow wave and surfing our stern wake. After a few runs with these guys we saw 2 whales fairly close to the boat so we decided to deploy the hydro-phone at this time. Then things started to happen, it seemed that most of the action was under water. There were a multitude of Humpbacks (Megaptera Novaeangliae) between 60’ to 100’ below our boat just going at it. Way to many to try and count, in fact the many voices began to blend into one with the primary goal of being chosen by a female for courtship and mating. This went on for some time, before we moved on because we saw a breaching whale in the distance. We were not to be disappointed, it was a mother whale teaching her calf how to breach. Once we shut down and became silent, the excitement began to build anticipating something spectacular. All of a sudden the water began to boil, and 50’ of whale launched itself towards the heavens...and right at the apex she arched her back to prepare for what was to be a thunderous explosion of white water!!! Then it was the calf’s turn...the little guy got high marks for effort, but didn't get much altitude. But then after several attempts he was breaching like you'd expect to see from these gentile giants. Mom went on to breach 9 more times, as well as the calf before they quit and swam off into the setting sun, leaving us dazed and amazed and wanting more!!! But by then it was time to begin the trip home. Needless to say we were all quite pleased. It just goes to show with wild animals you never know what to expect, or what they’re going to do next. Be sure to join us for another awesome adventure aboard the Hula Kai! ‘Till then, Aloha, jonathan
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02/22/07 (Thursday)
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Aloha and welcome aboard,
Did we ever have fun today...once again the Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) were out in full force! We were seeing whales in Kailua Bay, and all the way up to the ‘Lek'. Once on the scene however, the numbers increased exponentially. It started with a huge breach by a whale that was looking around to see who and where we were, then once again out on the horizon males were breaching like crazy. We then saw a lone whale on it's side slapping it's pectoral flipper for 4 times that was followed by 2 spy-hops by another whale some 400-yards away. We saw 2 heat runs that were quite dramatic, in that the female was literally lunging a 1/3 of her body out of the water each time she came up for a breath of air, with 4 males in hot pursuit. When it was time to deploy the hydrophone there were more whales singing than you could count. Once again we heard 'Chubaka', singing away and it seems that he's altered his song again... I hope that he stays in the area just awhile longer to so that we can hear how much of his vocalization pattern will change with this new mating season. As we left the 'Lek' we saw a mother/calf/escort that swam very close to the boat on their way out to deeper water. Then the Nia'a showed up…Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris). They were very playful and swam in our bow wake and surfed our stern wake as we sped towards our home port of Keauhou Bay. Well that's all for now, see ya next time for more fun and adventures aboard the Hula Kai. Aloha, Jonathan
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02/21/07 (Wednesday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Things just keep getting better on the 'Lek'! Today we saw more Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) than we've seen all year. This afternoon we saw a grand total of 32 humpbacks scattered all over the Lek. One whale that was part of a 'heat run', spy-hopped 6 times looking around to see where we were in relation to himself and the group he was trying to keep up with. Then another whale in a completely different 'heat run' was slapping it's pectoral flipper over and over again for a total of 8 times before quitting. And then the breaches started…some where out on the horizon and others were centered right in front of the boat in plain view for all to see. After 15 in a row, I felt like no one was going to believe we saw this much activity, but we did!!!! Strangely enough we had dueling tail-lobs again for a total of 17. Who knows what got into these cetaceans on this day, but then that is the beauty of seeing wild animals doing what they want to do and not some pre-arranged choreographed routine. We did see 2 pods of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris) launching themselves out of the water to catch up with our boat so that they could get a free ride. The next time you see dolphins riding the pressure wave on the bow of your boat remember that in order to do this they must angle their tails to 23.5 degrees, which by the way is the same angle that the earth is tilted on it's axis in space, and as long as they hold that position where ever the boat goes they catch a free ride. Well, I hope that was enough excitement for you because 42 people were thrilled when they disembarked at Keauhou Bay. Be sure to reserve your seat on one of our fabulous afternoon excursions...We'll be looking for ya! Aloha, Jonathan
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02/20/07 (Tuesday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Whales, whales, whales...as far as the eye can see, there were whales in every direction! We had an amazing trip today. At first when we saw two Humpbacks just outside of Keauhou Bay, and they were not doing to much in the way of surface displays we thought that we might be in for a long afternoon. All that changed once we were up on the 'Lek'...big-time! Out of a total of a 25 whale sightings, 20 were breaches - that's right, the whales went off today! In every direction we looked at another breach, another breach, another breach, and so it went. Then the tail-lobs started and I personally counted 10 by one whale. Then out on the horizon these 2 whales started what looked to be a tail-lobing duel, with no end in sight. The reason there is no number as to how many times they tail-lobed is because it went on, and on, and on. We also had 2 spy-hops by a calf swimming along side it's mother, then mom breached twice...she was huge. Before the wind squall blew in we had Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris) swimming in close proximity to the boat. Then we had an adult Humpback (Megaptera Novaeangliae) spy-hop twice. We then lowered the hydro-phone, and once again the males were singing away loud and hearty. It seemed the elements were against us, because the wind picked up and the waves did also, and we then turned for home after having had one of the most exhilarating days so far this season. Well that's all for now, be sure to book your seat for our next afternoon adventure...they're going fast! Aloha, Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/19/07 (Monday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
Once we left Keauhou Bay, it didn't take long to spot our first whale. There were several swimming near the surface, however they were doing extended down times (in excess of 20 min.) so we pushed on towards the 'Lek' where we knew there would be more activity. Upon arrival we soon had Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) in every direction. There were two whales out near the horizon tail-lobing, and throwing up very large volumes of water that could be seen for miles. There was a very active male that breached 6 times, while another one was slapping it's pectoral flipper trying to fend off 2 extremely aggressive males. In the midst of all this activity the Nai'a (dolphins) showed up. These were Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), and they were swimming with an adult Humpback mother and calf. The calf was quite playful and breached 5 times. we also deployed the hydro-phone and heard at least 6 different whales in the area, including the one we've named “Chubaka” because he sounds like the Wookie from Star Wars. We were then treated to a Humpback Whale sub-adult who breached in full view of everyone on the boat...awesome display!!!! What a way to start the week, if this is any indication of what's in store for the rest of the week...look out, because we're going to have lots of exciting adventures. Well that's all for now hope to see ya on one of our afternoon trips real soon. Aloha, Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/17/07 (Saturday)
Aloha,
We had lots of fun today, but we also had to go further North than we've had to all year. It was windy on the 'Lek', but there was lots to see. When it's windy like today, it makes it hard to see the whales breath because the wind knocks it down. We found a 'heat run' and followed them until the whales seemed to vanish...and then we saw their breath much further from the boat. On the way out to the last sighting, another 'heat run' popped up so we watched them and 2 of the 5 whales in that group were breaching trying to out do one another (we saw a total of 5 breaches and that was the highlight of the trip). We then encountered a whale “tail-lobing” 4 times, and another one slapped it's pectoral flipper 5 times. At our turn around point we saw 2 large pods of Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), and a total of 18 humpback whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae). On the way home we had a close encounter with a mother/calf, and 2 Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Trucatus). They both surfaced right next to the boat - mother and calf eschalon swimming and the dolphins were the escort. All in all we had a wonderful time. Our next trip is Monday - hope you can join us for another exciting adventure aboard the Hula Kai! till then, Aloha, Jonathan
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02/16/07 (Friday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
What a beautiful day today was - crystal clear skies and ocean to match. Leaving Kailua at warp drive speed, the hula-kai seemed to fly over the ocean today...It seemed like before you knew it we were on the 'Lek' and viewing whales. Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) were in every direction, so we found a 'heat run' and followed them. While observing their surface activities, there were several breaches - 5 to be precise. Then we saw 2 spy-hops and 5 tail-lobs. Off in the distance there were some whales slapping their pectoral flippers on the surface of the water, so we went over to investigate. While doing so, a mother and calf showed up and visited with us for a while. When they swam away we looked for and found a whale resting on the surface, surrounded by a pod of Nai'a. Remember Nai'a is Hawaiian for Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris). There were several large pods that were spread out along the coast line. When we deployed the hydrophone we were treated to an awesome display of whale vocalizations. Then it began to drizzle, but that didn't last long, and when it was over we saw a glorious rainbow that lasted the whole time we were on the 'Lek'. By now it was getting to be turn around time so we waited to get one more visual of the humpbacks before heading back towards Keauhou. And as usual the whales started breaching and surfacing where we had just been...the perfect ending to a picture perfect day! Well, that's all for now - see ya next time for more adventures aboard the Hula Kai. Aloha, Jonathan
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02/15/07 (Thursday)
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Aloha and welcome aboard,
We had an awesome time today. Starting out from Keauhou Bay we headed up to the 'Lek' where we found the whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) waiting for us. In total we saw 20 whales, but they were spread out over a 5 mile radius. Out on the horizon we saw 5 thunderous breaches, 6 tail-lobs from a female being pursued by 5 males. At one point we had a cow/calf combo, swimming around the boat, and the calf breached 4 times. By then it was time to deploy the hydrophone, and once again we heard a chorus of whales. This  is my favorite part of the trip, because I like the vocalizations, and while listening to the whales I get to interact with everyone and interpret the meaning of the songs. Remember all whales vocalize, but it is the only the males who sing and they only sing during the winter months when they're on the breeding grounds. While we were dead in the water, quite close to the boat we had a whale roll over on it's side and slap it's pectoral flipper. Someone asked how big was the flipper? The pectoral flipper is distinct on the Humpback, they look like no other whale in that regard. It is 1/3 of the whale's body length...15ft. and weighs 2 tons! They also have all the bones that we have in our arm as well. While en route back to the bay we saw a huge pod of Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), and being in a playful mood they swam right up to the boat and along side in our bow wake and the stern wake. There were lots of camera flashes going off. Well that's all for now, come join us for an awesome adventure of whale watching aboard the Hula Kai we'll be looking for ya! ‘Till then, Aloha, Jonathan| email Jonathan |

02/14/07 (Wednesday)
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Aloha and Happy Valentine's Day!
Whales, whales, whales, everywhere! On the 'lek' there were so many cetaceans that once again it was…which way do we go??? We decided to follow a 'heat run' and that turned out to be the best course of action. We saw a total of 25 Humpback whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae). There were more than 15 breaches and 11 tail-lobs. Not to mention the 6 lunges and 11 pectoral slaps. If you haven't figured it out yet - February is our best month, it also signals the half way point in the season as well. Seems like we were just getting started, but that was in December, and that doesn't seem that long ago. We've had an outstanding season and once again Hula Kai has proved to be the best viewing platform for whales on the Kona Coast  - bar none!!! Don't wait too much longer to join us for an excursion aboard the Hula Kai...we'll keep a seat open for ya. If today was any indication of what could be, then tomorrow promises to be yet another exciting time on the water. Hope to see you out there! Aloha for now and let's go find some whales......Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/13/07 (Tuesday)
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Aloha and welcome,
You guys should have been with us today, what a phenomenal experience!!! Heading out of Keauhou we saw a few humpbacks (megaptera novaeangliae), but they were not doing anything spectacular so we waited for them to come back up. But after an extended down time we decided to push on.

As we were rounding Keahole' point and onto the 'lek', we didn't have to wait long.  Once past the airport we could see Puu Wa'a Wa'a...the cinder cone, and behind that looming in the distance the giant Mauna Kea with the tiny observatories at the summit. 

Then without warning we were surrounded by more humpbacks.  When your boat is in such a position that it can't move and the engines must be shut down so the whales are not injured, that is called a 'mugging'...we were mugged! Imagine that, the nerve of those whales. Oh well, I guess someone had to be there.  Too bad it wasn't you or was it??

Then we saw a whale off in the distance tail-lobing, not once but 10 times, wow!! Then another whale was slapping it's pectoral flipper, over and over again. Then the breaching started! Oh my, at first it was off in the distance then they got closer and closer.  Finally after 10 or more breaches from these two whales, two more started to go off. It was an awesome display of raw power. 

Then, rising up out of the depths, rocketing skyward like a Saturn rocket booster, was the mother of all breaches. This whale was every bit of 45-50ft. in length and he/she got sooooo high that their flukes cleared the water! 
Then in mid air this cetacean rolled on it's long axis and arched it's back,  landing with a huge splash!!!

The boat was pointed right at all of this and everyone on board was amazed! As if that wasn't enough, we had a baby humpback swim right next to the
boat.  The baby rolled over on it's side and swam the length of the 55 ft. Hula-Kai while looking at everyone...way cool!!!

By then it was time to deploy the hydrophone. Each day there are lots of whales singing away, and today was no exception.  We must have heard at least 5 to 10 whales. There were so many that it was hard to distinguish any individuals, it was a chorus of whales. 

Once we secured and stowed the hydrophone it was time to begin heading home.  After an adventure such as this everyone on board was exclaiming what a great show this was, and they were right!

Well that's all for now, hope that this inspires you to come on out and join us for another incredible adventure aboard Fair Wind’s Hula-Kai!

We'll be looking for ya, Aloha ‘til then.     
Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/12/07 (Monday)
Aloha and welcome aboard,
We had an exciting time today - lots of surface activity and a beautiful ocean to go with it. First of all, heading up to the “Lek” we encountered several sub-adults. They surfaced a number of times, but with extended down times in excess of 10-15 minutes we decided to move on. Once we reached the “Lek” our luck would change for the better, as there were humpback whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) in every direction. The question was; which way do we want to go? At a time like this we always look for a “Heat-run”, after we found several (4 to be exact), we then saw a calf breaching. Not once, not twice, but 6 times! We then saw another 4 breaches from another whale. There were whales all over the place up here on this day - we saw a total of 25!. While on the “Lek” we were visited by Hawaiian Spinner dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), 2 huge pods heading out into deeper water to begin the evening ritual of finding food. We then observed a pod escorting a lone whale out to sea, perhaps a mother to be heading out to give birth with a dolphin escort. Overall, everyone enjoyed their trip and there were lots of new memories and stories to share. We also encountered 2 Bottle Nose dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) right off Keahole' Point. They swam with us then went on their way to who knows where. Finally, once back in Keauhou Bay we were treated to an exquisite sunset....a big orange ball, and a green flash ending – all I can say is wow! Well that's all for now - see ya next time for more adventures aboard the Hula Kai. Aloha, Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/10/07 (Saturday)
Aloha and Welcome aboard,
Quite a show we had today, there are tons of whales up on the “Lek”. We saw a grand total of 24 Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae), 15 Breaches - some so close that the wake from the landing rocked the boat! There was a calf that had just learned how to spy-hop and did so 5 times in a row. We saw 5 heat-runs, and shortly thereafter the female was tail-lobing in an effort to keep anxious males at bay. We then saw a huge male lunging out in the distance. We made it out there to him and he continued lunging, for a total of 6 times. By then it was time to deploy the hydrophone. Once in the water we heard several males in the area singing away…pretty cool! Didn't hear “Chuie” today, but I'm sure he's still in the neighborhood. On our way home we encountered Nai'a, Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris). You should have seen the show, playing and jumping, and surfing in and out of our stern wake and bow wake, this was way cool!! After everything that we saw today, the dolphins were a nice touch for ending our whale watch. Everyone was so stoked, it's amazing to watch grown ups reduced to jumping up and down and acting like children...but then we do have fun on our boat! You should try it sometime - we'll save a seat for ya! ‘Till then, take care and Aloha! Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/09/07 (Friday)
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Aloha and Welcome aboard,
Up on the “Lek” we were greeted by many small pods - we saw a total of 15 Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae). We witnessed 3 breaches by a Humpback on the horizon, then a calf breached 4 times fairly close to the boat. After traveling North a bit more we encountered a very large pod of Pilot Whales (Globicephala Macrorhynchus). They were swimming South, so we watched for a while and then we were surrounded by the Humpbacks - our friends “Hula” and “Kai” showed up again, and it was good to see them. It truly is amazing how they recognize our boat, and by their behavior and markings we recognized them. We observed them for more than 30 minutes, then we had to begin heading back towards our home port. What a beautiful pair of whales - I hope we see them again before the season's over! We also had a whale do 5 pectoral slaps and we saw 4 different “Heat Runs”. Well that's all for now, Aloha...Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/06/07 (Tuesday)
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Aloha and Welcome,
What an exciting trip we had today! The highlight was watching a Humpback Whale calf (Megaptera Novaeangliae) first do a 3/4 breach, followed by a full breach, and then breached 5 more times. There were 5 spy-hops, 3 'heat runs' and 4 tail-lobs. We also deployed the hydrophone and were treated to a symphony of songs by male whales. Remember that all whales vocalize, but it's only the males that sing. That, by the way, was the question of the day; do all whales sing? There were certain dynamics of the singing that were very curious. Last year we heard a certain whale end his songs with a phrasing that we had not heard before. He sounds like the character from Star Wars, the wookie “Chubaka”. Well, this year “Chuie” is back and he's not the only one finishing his songs in this manner. There is another whale singing in a higher key, imitating him. So it will be interesting to see if this catches on and other whales begin doing it as well. This is the type of cutting edge whale research that you can experience first hand only on the Hula Kai. Sure there are other whale watch operations in West Hawai'i, but we're the only ones that take you up on the “Lek” where the whales are, and we know what “Chuie” sounds like so we can identify his phrasing for you. Well that's all for now, be sure to check us out tomorrow for more whale adventures aboard the Hula Kai. Aloha for now - Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/05/07 (Monday)
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Aloha! What an adventure we had today - blue skies and calm seas provided a picture perfect day for viewing whales. We saw a grand total of 17 whales - but then February is our best month. We also had a cow/calf combo, and the calf breached 10 times. There were also several lunges after the breaches, more like 12 in a row. This little guy (or girl) put on an exciting show. We also encountered a “heat run” during which one of the whales tail-lobed more than 10 times. Towards the end of our trip, we were visited by Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins, (Stenella Longirostris) as they made their way out to deeper water to begin their evening hunt. Overall, we had a great show and lots of encounters - and not to mention lots of photographs! Talking with people as they disembarked, there were smiles galore and lots of Mahalos! Our Fair Wind “Ohana” is growing and we look forward to seeing you on one of our upcoming trips. Remember, nothing beats seeing whales in their natural environment.  Hope to see you out there! Aloha, Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/03/07 (Saturday)
Aloha, and welcome to our daily Whale Journal! When I was a kid, my parents listened to a singer by the name of Dinah Washington who sang “What a difference a day makes"...Well, that sums up our experience today compared to yesterday. I don't want to start comparing trips, I just wish that some of what we had on Friday could have been saved for today. Don't get me wrong - any day on the water seeing whales is better than not seeing whales at all. The winds were back, and the waves were up, but that didn't keep us from venturing as far north as we could. We saw whales up on the “Lek”, but the white-caps made it difficult to determine what was a whale spout or just another white cap. Turning back for Kona we saw a mother, calf, and male escort...and sure enough - the calf breached for us! At the onset of our trip we saw them surrounded by a pod of Nai'a (remember that Nai'a, is the Hawaiian word for dolphin). These were Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris), and Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatas), or sometimes classified as (Tursiops Gilli). Well folks, that pretty much sums it up for Saturday's trip....hope you get here before the season's over…
Aloha Nui-Loa - Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/02/07 (Friday)
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Aloha, If you have been following our exploits this season, then you know that last Saturday was very, very special. Well, today we exceeded that trip by a quantum leap! On the way home I'm asking myself "how do you describe, that which defies description"? I could attempt to try with numbers: 7 breaches, 8 tail-lobs and 3 heat runs. However, it's the final category that really tells the story - 16 spy-hops! For those of you that have never seen an animal as big as a school bus, or as long as a semi tractor-trailer lift it's head out of the water and look you in the eye, and it's so close that it's breath coats the lenses of your sunglasses...you'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that it's like nothing you've ever witnessed before. We were visited once again by the two mating whales that showed up last Saturday and wowed us. There were distinctive markings on the dorsal fins, flukes, and heads, as well as the behavior that signified these were in fact the same whales. Today they were given names; the girl is “Hula”, and the boy is “Kai”. For what seemed an eternity...literally well over an hour and a half, we were held captive by two whales that kept humans leaning over one side over the boat - then the other. People were beside themselves with ecstatic delight! Questions like, “does this happen often”? No. “Has this ever happened before”? Well, sort of. Needless to say, there was more action than I could record at this time. And as if that wasn't enough - for me the highlight of the trip was a new friend I made who lives in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. His name is Alex...he's 11 yrs old. In the midst of all this excitement, I asked him: "So how does seeing whales this close make you feel"? Without hesitation, he replied; "connected to nature". In an instant he had summed up our trip and given it relevance. It's defining moments like this that I love best about what I do - the chance to have an experience of a lifetime, and then to have it all put into perspective by some of life's little clues. Mahalo to Alex for giving me something that I'll treasure for the rest of my life! So, Mahalo to Alex and all of our new found friends from today! I look forward to all your pictures that I know you'll be sending me...I can't wait! Aloha - Jonathan | email Jonathan |

02/01/07 (Thursday)
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Today's whale watch was wet, yet wonderful! The weather has been a little challenging lately - but then that's life in Hawai'i. Of course, it wouldn't be so green if did not rain…so all is fair. Rain or shine, the whales put on an amazing show regardless. We were treated to a very aggressive “heat run”, which lasted the better part of two hours. That's not to say that we didn't break-off and find other cetaceans, we did - and off in the distance we could see the big breaths, and extensive surface displays. And then out on the horizon, was the mother of all breaches, at least that is what they look like when they are too far out! In total, we saw a five-whale “heat run”, the female tail-lobed 12 times trying to shake off an eager male, but then she still had to contend with the other four. While witnessing her clever attempts to evade...up in the heavens appeared the most spectacular rainbow I have seen in years! It was so intense, that we just shut down everything and watched untill it began to dissipate. Each trip is so unique, you just never know what you're going to see, and how much. Question is - what are you waiting for? Come join us for an afternoon of fun and adventure aboard the best viewing platform for whale watching on the Kona Coast! Aloha, till then - Jonathan
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