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Whale WatchingUpdate March 20th, 2012: Well the whales are back in plenty. Yestday we saw great whales in the Kona shore area. The day before we had a heat run in the same area. They were missing in action for a couple of days last week but they have returned. Fabulous whale activity yesterday! SAVE $20 OFF per adult couple Whale Watch Special Use Discount Code: WEBWHA
**MUST BE BOOKED DIRECT AND ONLINE ON THIS SITE WITH CODE TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT ! Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. 2010-2011 Humpback Whale Season Late Dec- Apr Click here to see the online updated ScheduleTimes: Everyday departing at Noon return at 2:30pm 11:30am check in Departing from the Kailua Kona Pier. Pricing: Adults (12 years and up)$84.00 plus tax and fuel surcharge Child (5-11 years)$63.00 plus taxand fuel surcharge Toddlers (0-4 years) Free Transportation: Roundtrip (Hotel-Dock-Hotel 0nly) Available Depending on Hotel Location Find out More about Transportation Click
During this special time of year, late December to Early April, Humpback Whales come to mate and give birth in the calm waters of Kona. There is no better way to see them than with Kona’s year round marine mammal excursion experts aboard the custom built 70' power catamaran "Spirit of Kona" . Delivered in fall of 2007, the <Spirit of Kona was
designed and built to enhance our Eco tour experience. Designed to
allow maximum viewing of marine life above and below the surface of the
ocean. It features 360-degree walk around viewing on both decks. The Spirit of Kona
is a 150 passenger vessel weighing 78 gross
tons. This wide heavy platform makes for a comfortable and stable ride.
Its slower cruising speed not only saves on fuel consumption but allows
for more safety for those marine animals that are subject to boat
strikes. With mens and womens toilets, premium bar and buffet station, and hydrophone and speaker system, the Spirit is a fabulous boat for catching and learning about the incredible humpback whales during their seasonal visit to the Big Island. Have your camera ready for your first whale encounter as you watch these amazing animals up close. Some of the activities you may see are breaching, spy hopping, pectoral fin slapping, tail slapping, mating behavior and mothers caring for their young. Listen to the whale songs produced by these majestic mammals through our underwater hydrophone. Blue Sea Cruises Inc. is working in coordination with Julian Tyne doing a funded doctorate study from MurdockUniversity in Perth, Australia under the guidance of Dr Lars Bejder who leads the world’s largest study into the impact of tourism on whales and dolphins. Dr Bejder’s research is also helping the Hawaiian State Government and the US to create legislation protecting their native dolphins from the impact of tourism. All recorded observations gathered by our Kona Cetacean Research Program will also help identify marine mammal numbers and identities in the Kona area. All information will be correlated with the Coral Reef Alliance, NOAA office on Oahu and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Guaranteed Humpback Whale sightings or return again free. Cruise includes complimentary sodas, water and party mix snack. Additional food items for purchase and a limited cash bar throughout the tour serving Beer, Wine and mixed drinks. Blue Sea Cruises operates directly from the Kailua Pier across from the King Kamehameha Hotel. Use the hotel address for your gps device to find the pier. 75-5660 Palani Rd or Ali'i and Palani Road intersection see map
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Media     Feedback I was on the afternoon cruise on 23 February 2010. It was terrific! The narrator told us what to look for, and we found it. There were males fighting in the distance, surfacing and breaching here and there, but the highlight was a mother teaching her calf to breach - she demonstrated 22 times. It was great! Captain Ray ran a parallel course that let us watch the fun without apparently bothering the whales. We also saw dolphins at the start and end of the cruise, which was a nice bonus. I highly recommend this cruise. Not too crowded, comfortable seating, nice crew, knowledgeable narrator, and they use bio-diesel. How cool is that?  Attached a photo from last year - last day of the whale watching season. Unusual whale breach so late in the season. But 3?!!! It was fantastic - and I caught it with an everyday digital camera. Can't wait till I come back.  So there I was on a double decker bright blue and yellow boat (Blue Sea Cruises Inc). Now, as usual I was not looking forward to the thought of hundreds of tourists crowding round the one inch of railing to catch a token glimpse of a distant whale tail. Thankfully these fellas knew what they were doing and kept the passenger manifest to a very comfortable number. Just as I was getting used to the space a massive humpback launched itself sky high mere meters from the boat. There was only one word: Woah! Unfortunately I missed the shot. It was a good job that another big fella kindly obliged, close enough for us to feel the spray. This time I was kind of ready. I then realized that keeping my SLR mounted did not make the most effective method to shoot a fast moving whale that can pop up anywhere from the big blue. Never the less, I may have missed the shot I wanted, but like Ahab, I¹ll be back. The boat had enough space for four times the number of people that actually boarded, ample shade, great commentary, and interactive staff, nice food, and the drinks were ab fab. Cheers Blue Sea Cruises. Moby Post your comments here |