Schools of hammerheads off Big Island of Hawaii

[saildiver]

When I was studying Marine Biology in the early 70's at UH at Hilo.Hawaii-I befriended and used to dive alot with an extremely experienced spearfisherman "Punchy"(Yep,he had been bent a few times).Anyway,he used to tell me about this place a little north of south Point on the Kona side-because the last time he had been there,as he was returning from about 120 ft to the boat with a full stringer of fish-he looked up and saw the water filled with hammerhead sharks ,between he and the boat-he estimated he saw at least 300 ,from 4-10 ft in length.Since he had a full stringer of fish he didn't want to lose ,he waited to see if they'd leave-of coarse they didn't until he was so low on air that he had to surface-and then they parted and left him alone to get into the boat.Knowing something about the habits of schooling hammerheads(but not much was known then)-I begged him to take me there around the same time of year the following year-and after a year of begging ,he reluctantly said yes.He told me over and over to "Be careful " & of his many bad experienceswith lone great hammerheads(which had taken his fish-and then came back for him)Anyway,we decended to about 140 ft,and ,suddenly,there they were-300-400 scalloped hammerheads,ranging from 3-12 ft long-probably 1/2 juveniles,1/2 big ones.Initially,they were out deep,then moved into the area between us and our boat.We gazed till we ran low on air and had to move up to the shallows-but what a beautiful sight- with vis about 180 ft.(and,no,punchy did not spear any fish on that dive).But Iwas wondering-since I've never been back there (I think it was in march)Has any one else seen the schooling Hammerheads of Hawaii? I'm almost afraid to let this story out,but scientific curiosity is getting the best of me.The site is south of Milolii-about 1/2 way to South Point.I dont even know if the livaboards go there.I'd really like to hear from some of you on this. Could we have stumbled onto a breeding ground?Mahalo....saildiver

 

[gkndivebum]

When I was studying Marine Biology in the early 70's at UH at Hilo. [...] Has any one else seen the schooling Hammerheads of Hawaii? I'm almost afraid to let this story out,but scientific curiosity is getting the best of me.The site is south of Milolii-about 1/2 way to South Point.I dont even know if the livaboards go there. [...]

I know the Kona Agressor heads down that way.

For day charters out of Honokohau Harbor that's a bit far. We sometimes do
a long-range charter south, usually visiting Au Au Canyon, and occasionally
a bit further south to The Hive or Ule Pinnacle.

My wife and I saw two hammerheads at Ule Pinnacle on 26 Aug 2004. Ule Pinnacle
s stil north of Milolii -- by about 0.5 miles.

Gotta do an Agressor trip one of these days ...

 

[ryt]

Wow, I would really like to see that. Going to UH Hilo myself I hope I can get myself out there sometime and see if the hammerheads still school there. Maybe in march when I have more confidence in my diving I will try to venture out there. I know someone with a boat I could probably charter. Good idea though, I would love to see something like that.