WHALE SEASON - Humpback whales return
Koholā or humpback whales migrate to the warm waters of Hawai‘i from the colder waters of Alaska, Northern British Columbia and the Aleutian Islands every year. They travel to Hawai‘i to breed, give birth, and raise their calves. The peak season for seeing humpback whales off Hawaiian coasts has historically been from mid-February to mid-March although in recent years plenty of whales are sighted in January.
Off Hawai’i Island including Hilo, peak abundance tends to occur earlier than in Maui by several weeks, according to Dr. Adam Pack, founder and director of the Marine Mammal Laboratory at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and President of The Dolphin Institute. Pack and his team have been conducting research on humpback whales in Hawai‘i for more than 40 years in what has become one of the longest, continuous scientific studies of humpback whales in the world.
During whale season, humpback whales may be seen in different types of pods. Single females with or without a newborn calf are sometimes seen alone but often “escorted” by a male seeking a mating opportunity. Whale watchers can learn a lot by paying attention to the number of whale breaths or “blows” from a pod. Numerous blows produced in rapid succession and concentrated in one area typically indicate a large "competitive" group of two or more males physically fighting over a single female.
Pack and his colleagues have discovered that the largest males tend to dominate in these competitive groups and that large males contain greater concentrations of testosterone than smaller males. A tall blow next to a short blow indicates a mother and calf pair, which usually sequester into much shallower water closer to the coastline to avoid harassment from males.
One of the best koholā viewing sites in Hilo is the Scenic Outlook Park, just across the bridge from Downtown Hilo. Below water, those who enjoy swimming or snorkeling will likely hear the chorus of male songs if they dip their heads underwater during whale season.
To learn more about Pack’s research: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/faculty/adam-a-pack/marine-mammal-lab/ and https://thedolphininstitute.org/
