Whale Season 2014
Whale Season 2014
This year’s humpback whale season here in Kailua Kona, HI was nothing short of epic. Our first Whale Watching Adventure took place on December 13th, and over 100 trips later we are just catching our breath. Our captains located whales on all but three of those 100+ adventures. That’s an A+ success rate, and with so many whales spotted we were able to capture some incredible videos from our vessel. You can check them out by clicking this link and perusing our posts at www.facebook.com/bodyglovehawaii.
About the Whale Watching Excursion
Our Whale Watching Excursion in Kona runs for 2.5 hours. Light snacks and refreshments are offered, but don’t let them distract you. All of our guests and crew participate in the search for whales, and the most vigilant eyes spot the first spout, pectoral fin, or fluke! Though we always keep the distance of 100 yards between the boat and the whales required by the NOAA, when humpbacks emerge in a wild breach within that perimeter we simply kick our gears into neutral and float among some of the largest mammals on Earth.
Connecting with the Whales
It is difficult to convey just how engaging the sight of these creatures is. Once we have located one, or maybe a pair, or perhaps even a group of males pursuing a female in a heat run, we know that every one onboard is forming life-long memories they’ll always treasure. There is a kinship between cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and humans, a connection that resonates deeply through eons of evolution. There is an emotional awareness in all of us that makes our species and theirs members of a very small, specialized group of sensitive life forms capable of recognizing one another’s consciousness. If you ever look into the deep, dark, curious eye on the barnacled face of a humpback, you will get a sense of how interconnected all of the creatures on this planet are. By connecting with these animals in their environment, we get a clearer image of our place on earth.
An Encouraging Season
Our naturalist, Denver Leaman, could not be happier with the turnout this year. “The fact that so many humpbacks visited us this year means the laws that were created to protect them are working,” he concluded, sighing with the relief of a true lover of marine life. “It means the humpbacks we’ve been studying will be around long enough for us to accumulate data across the span of an entire life.” Denver often jokes that tourism is so important to Hawai’i that even its state mammal “just visits,” but there is nothing except the tender concern and satisfaction in his voice as he speaks of the whales’ recent success at rearing healthy young in such large numbers. We could not be happier because it means we get to share the ocean for three months out of every year with more and more of the mammals with which we are so enamored.
Whale Sightings on Sunset Cruises
Even on our Historical Sunset Dinner Cruise—a cruise with a pre-determined route that leaves no time for the kind of searching for whales we do on a typical Whale Watching Excursion—we were seeing humpbacks regularly. We liked to joke this season that sightings on these cruises were entirely complimentary. On a cruise that includes a cocktail, an elaborate Polynesian dinner spread, a historical narrative, and live Hawaiian-style music, those sightings were truly icing on the cake. This was also the first year we offered our unconditional, come-again-free-guarantee to see whales on our Deluxe Morning Snorkel, and the timing couldn’t have been any more perfect. The whale-sighting guarantee will now be a staple of that cruise during our winter months, and continues to be honored on all Whale Watch Cruises.
Come Experience the Beauty of Hawai’i
Here on The Big Island, the preservation of the land is a core cultural value. Our natural landscapes are the treasure that draws a variety of adventure tourism. During a whale season so spectacular it excited the imaginations of even our local guests—people who have lived on the island of Hawaii for years—our gratitude for the beauty of our surroundings has only magnified. We’d love to share these experiences with future generations year by year, and that focus is at the heart of our day-to-day operations. We hope that when you come to Kona you are transported to a world that is both mysterious, and somehow familiar, as we explore the waters of the Pacific. At Body Glove Cruises, your excitement is why we do what we do!