The isolation of the Hawaiian islands provides a home for a very unique ecosystem to flourish.
These deep oceanic waters are where whales come to sing as the plentiful life of the coral reef dance nearby. From 40-foot by 40-tonne whales to inconspicuous microorganisms, these are some of the many forms of life living in Hawaii’s tropical waters.
The water surrounding the Hawaiian islands is a national marine sanctuary for humpback whales because some of these largest creatures on the planet come to mate between January, February and March.
Hawaiian’s value tradition and thus have a historic connection between their culture and all life forms that share the land, sky and ocean, so the locals have folklore, trinkets and can show you places where whales have been known to grace us with their magnificence for millennia.
Humpback whales are commonly seen around these locations:
On the north and west coasts of Kauai
On the north shore of Oahu and the easternmost tip
The area between Molokai, Lanai and Maui
The area north of Kona and up the Kohala Coast
You can take a boat tour with Ultimate Whale Watch or Pacific Whale Foundation and feel good knowing that proceeds from your tour tickets support research and response of these gentle giants.
The tour guides will show you areas where whales breach, spy hop, tail slap and more from the safety of a boat while keeping your vessel a minimum 300 feet away from the whales — you'd be surprised how close you feel when a breaching behemoth lunges out of the sea.
Witnessing these impressive acrobatic displays can be seen from far away, so if you're on land, keep a pair of binoculars nearby because at any moment you could see a humpback’s spout reach 10 to 20 feet in the air.
Check out this live webcam feed from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary off the island of Maui.
If you’re going whale watching you might want to write this down because if you happen to see an entangled whale, do not try to be a hero. Call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hotline 1 888 256 9840
One of the rarest marine mammals in the world, the Hawaiian monk seal can be found near the Hawaiian Islands. With approximately one thousand Hawaiian monk seals remaining, you can see one of the two remaining species in the world here in Hawaii — the other species is the Mediterranean monk seal.
As preservation efforts do their best to keep monk seals thriving, you can see them on the island of Kauai, occasionally on Poipu Beach and on the small beaches along the Na Pali Coast, Hawaiian monk seals travel around all of the main Hawaiian islands feeding on a lot of small fish, lobster and crustaceans.
While curious, they’re not a fan of close contact, so if you’re lucky enough to see one, do as the locals do and respect their habitat.
Fun fact: the Hawaiian name ‘Ilio holo I ka uaua means “dog that runs in rough seas,” which is believed to have derived from the first time Hawaiians had ever seen a seal.
The Hawaiian name for dolphin is Nai’a and refers to most all dolphins found near the Hawaiian islands.
Spinner Dolphins were named after their unique habit of leaping out of the water and throwing themselves spinning in mid-air. This species of natural-born senders tend to travel in large herds of between 10 and 100 animals and can be found spinning around the Hawaiian shoreline.
During the day, they like to hang out in shallow coves and bays where they can rest, care for their young, avoid predators and mate.
At night, they venture out into the open ocean to feed on organisms that rise toward the surface, such as small squid, lantern fish and small hake.
With 13 species of toothed dolphins swimming in the tepid waters of Hawaii, you’ll see that the most common are these Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. Look for the ones that are shaped and coloured somewhat different from other species of spotted, bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins.
If you wanted to go on a sightseeing tour in Hawaii, do your research to see how these tours preserve wildlife and allow you to see Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins in their natural environment.
The largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world can be found in the tropical Hawaiian waters, they reach lengths of four feet and can weigh over 300 pounds!
Out of the seven types of sea turtle, the Hawaiian green sea turtle is the most commonly seen turtle in these pacific waters.
One of the places to see these timeless sea turtles is the north shore of Oahu’ Laniakea Beach, otherwise known as ‘Turtle Beach’. Bring a snorkel and chat with locals who are happy to answer and share all kinds of cool information about sea turtles.
Another great location, which is not too far from the main airport in Kahului, is Maluaka Beach, or what the locals like to call ‘Turtle Town’. Swim in the beautifully tranquil blue water that’s filled with colourful marine life, it’s one of the many areas in Hawaii to see the legendary Honu.
As beautiful as these areas are, there are laws protecting wildlife. When visiting their home, refrain from touching, chasing or riding these endangered turtles. Even though turtles are easy-going and inquisitive, you shouldn’t interfere with them or their habitat.
Reaching more than 2,000 km in the Central Pacific, Hawaiian coral reefs account for about 85 percent of all coral reefs in the United States.
About one-fourth of the plants, fish and invertebrates found in the Hawaiian coral reef are endemic to Hawaii, which means they can't be found anywhere else on Earth.
Alive with an abundance of marine life, these warm waters work as a natural barrier to the Hawaiian coastline.
Near the island and out in the ocean, you can see some of the nicest places to visit, like the popular, Molokini Crater, Maui.
Even though this extinct volcanic crater is only accessible by boat, it remains one of the top attractions in Hawaii. It’s so warm and well preserved that this is an experience tender observers must simply see with their own eyes — through the lens of a pair of goggles of course.
Marine life can be explored along any of the many bays Hawaii has to offer, such as Hanalei Bay where there is a sunken ship or the Molokai Reefs, one of the largest barrier reefs in Hawaii, extending 43 km.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the 40 different species of sharks swimming within these tropical waters. But don’t let Jaws scare you away from visiting paradise, sharks do not commonly attack humans.
Part of Hawaii’s visiting marine life is the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark.
As gentle as it is large, they roam tropical oceans and can be seen in Hawaii off the lee shores — meaning the wind is blowing towards it — of the northern island of Oahu and the southern ‘Big Island’, officially named Hawaii.
The channel between Maui and Molokai is said to be a popular area for whale sharks, which isn’t too far from the island’s incredibly deep-harbour and major airport in Kahului.
As you can see, the marine life of Hawaii is as magnificent and codependent as Hawaiian culture is tender towards land, sky and sea.
If you’d like to get up close and personal with the coral reef or hear the songs of the humpback whale, plan a vacation to visit Kahului, on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
Kahului, hosts the county’s main airport, there is a deep-draft harbour that’s ideal for cruise ships, it has a bustling industrial area and commercial shopping centers — and you can get there from here in Kelowna!
When the humpback whales come as tourists from January to March, will you join them?
Plan your winter vacation from the YLW Kelowna International Airport and go from Kelowna to Kahului.
As the 10th busiest airport in Canada, YLW’s total economic impact is 4,545 jobs and $789 million in total economic output to the province of British Columbia. Serving over 2 million passengers in 2019, YLW offers more than 70 daily non-stop commercial flights with nine airline partners. For more information, visit ylw.kelowna.ca.
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