This is the time to be in Maui! January through March is peak whale season here in the islands. And of all the Hawaiian islands, Maui is where you can find the most. They are here to breed and to give birth. What makes them so much fun to watch, is that they spend so much time at the surface. They are the acrobats of the whale world. They raise their fins and tail, slamming them back down. The males fight for the females in elaborate courtship competitions. Newborn baby whales swim right alongside their very proud, and very tired mothers. And if you are extremely lucky, you might get to see a breach, where the whale launches its entire 80,000lbs body out of the water.
Today we were off the coast of Lahaina, Maui. It really feels like an archipelago out here. Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kohoolawe are all visible. These are the waters of the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. We got to see lots of different behaviors, but perhaps the craziest thing was a military submarine, with a bunch of sailors standing on top of it, watching the whales. They were getting a show, too! Once we got close, one whale breached over a dozen times. I was able to get a few good photos. The sun set behind Lana'i, bringing our amazing whale watch day to an end.
This whale was doing a headstand and slapping its tail on the water, causing a loud smacking sound.
We got lucky on our whale watch with this guy breaching not too far away. The late afternoon sun lit up the water splashing off the leaping whale.
You really have to get lucky, or really put in your time to get a shot like this out here. Beautiful Humpback whale in a massive breach.
What an honor to be surrounded by these amazing creatures. Put it on your bucket list. I know Maui is far from just about anywhere, but it is worth it!