Hearing Whales off South Maui already!!

[Shaka Doug]

Hey aloha everyone!

Just a little FYI to you all that I've been having some humpback whale action already this season. In late October (I think it was the 30th) I saw two breaches out towards Molokini Crater from Five Caves. A couple days later I saw several spouts in the same general area.

This last weekend I heard them for the first time ever in November and yesterday and today I could hear them occasionally. Granted they weren't very loud or sounding off continuously but the fact remains that I and the divers with me all heard them. That's great news if you ask me so I just had to share .

Has anyone else around Maui or the sister islands been hearing them yet? It's kind of early in the season so I am taking that as a good sign that there will be an abundance of them in our waters very soon and throughout the next 3 or 4 months.

I'm giving that a super shaka double overhead with a cherry on top!!! Oh yeah!!!

 

[Lopaka]

Not been in the water to hear them yet, but saw four spouts in a row right off the Kona coast on Sunday. Brief glimpse of one's back as they went down. Gone by the time I had my binocs handy. Wife saw one a few days earlier.

Luckily the poor things did not have 3-5 snorkel tour boats zooming in on them. That is a sure method of making them disappear.

 

[smellzlikefish]

I was watching one from my dentist's office above Ala Moanna a few weeks back. It made a great distraction from my root canal. I have been in the water a lot since but have yet to hear them this season.

 

[acooper]

No whale song this weekend off of Puako, and I was listening for it. Later in the season it is usually impossible not to hear them along that section of coast.

 

[B4UDIVE]

Numerous sightings of whales off West Maui! We had one about 150 yards off shore at MM14. Traffic was backed up for about 15 minutes. Today saw several off Airport Beach...

 

[purcellj]

Doug,
I heard them on the front side of Molokini the day after we were with you (last Wed).
John

 

[bmrwizard99]

We were in Maui diving in early Dec a few years ago getting two of my boys certified. While we were going through the process (learning all Doug's shakas), we worked on dive signals as a family. The whales were tremendous that year. One day after diving, I took my wife snorkelling by White Rock beach. The whales were so loud, I kept looking to see if I could acutally see one. I kept making the "Listen" and "Whales" symbol to her and she kept nodding. A few minutes later, they got even louder and she finally realized what I was trying to tell her (Apparently she thought I was talking about three rocks with my three fingers up..lol). Well, she started to scream in her snorkel and headed back almost running on the surface. I was crying from laughing. Long story short... Looking forward to getting back to Maui in 10 days and never laugh so hard in your snorkel that you are crying....Drank wayyy too much ocean on that excursion.

 

[Huck BB62]

It's an amazing thing when they're really close. A big whale's song will vibrate your soul.

 

[DiveMaven]

not to mention your entire chest!!! There's nothing more amazing than being caught between shore (or Molokini crater) and a loud whale song, only to feel the sound vibrate in your chest. Amazing!!

Only thing better is to SEE one underwater.

 

[Shaka Doug]

We heard them again last night on our night dive and today on my second dive (about noon). They're definitely around just sometimes they're more vocal than other times. I'm hoping I get an encounter this year. It's been almost 4 years since the last one!!!! Come on Whales!!!

BTW The Kihei Whale Day Parade is only about two months away...I'm gonna need some mermaids around the 19th of February...anyone???