Maui Snorkeling Trips

Photo Courtesy NOAA.gov

Everybody loves dolphins, and we are always asked “will I see one?”.  Many species of dolphins live in Hawaiian waters year around, but the channels are quite large and there is no company that should be guaranteeing dolphin citings, however, if you go on the water your chances are really good that you may see a dolphin or two, or maybe even more than 100. 

Ancient Hawaiians called dolphins nai’a, although another word nu’au for porpoise was also used.  Interestingly, there are no porpoise in Hawaiian waters, but there are around Australia, New Zealand, and possibly the Marquesas and other parts of the South Pacific.  Nu’au may have come from south of the equator and is rarely heard in Hawaii.  This author could find no references to the eating of marine mammals in any form, at least not in Hawaii.  Many Hawaiians chose the dolphin as a family god, or `aumâkua.  The differences between dolphin and porpoise are physical.  Teeth of dolphins are conical, whereas porpoise have spade shaped teeth.  The snouts, or rostrums, of dolphins are longer, especially so with spinners (above photo), and rostrums of porpoise are quite blunt.  Dorsal fins are also very different.  On porpoise they are very triangular and short, dolphins have sickle shaped and falcate (curved back) dorsal fins.

It is no secret that dolphins are very intelligent, curious, and also one of the top predators of the ocean.  Predator?  Isn’t that a fun fact!  When predator is said the usual image of sharks may come to mind, but imagine having the intelligence of a dolphin, the ability to echolocate, and the swift ability to grab prey out of the ocean floor or mid water.  Dolphins enjoy eating a myriad of fish and crustaceans.  Depending on the species, they may eat just at night (spinners), or any time (bottlenose).  Spinner dolphins are known for their full bodied spins and flips above the surface, which, according to researchers, is a form of communication.  Dolphins do not do this type of communicating, but they do leap from the water and sometimes do summersaults.

Spinner dolphins in Hawaii congregate in large family pods that can number in the 100s, while bottlenose are usually seen in groupings of less than 5.  Both species can approach vessels at will to spend time people watching.

Years ago while working on a vessel that crossed the channel to Lana’i, we had an amazing experience involving dolphins.  We had about 30 passengers and 3 crew on board that day.  While folks were wrapping up their snorkeling experience and heading back, the captain noticed dolphins approaching in the distance.  Spinner dolphins feed in the night hours and like to rest in shallow coves and bays during the day.  A very large pod was quickly approaching.  As is normal, they sent 3 scouts into the bay to check and give the ‘all clear’ communication whistles.  As a handful of straggling snorkelers made their way to the swim ramp, one lady was singled out by the scouts.  They were clearly interested in her as they circled and whistled and made clicking sounds.  The passenger began to become hysterical and exclaimed that the dolphins were hurting her.  The captain hopped from the deck to the swim ramp and encouraged her to keep paddling, not panic, and she was alright.  The dolphins were not hurting her in any way.  She didn’t seem convinced at all.  Her husband, I remember, was very worried and offered to jump back in to help her move quicker.  The captain declined as a crew member was right behind her, smiling broadly while enjoying the dolphins, and keeping a close eye.  After climbing on the swim step, wrapped in a towel by her husband and gently placed on a bench, her tears subsided while she insisted the dolphins were ‘hurting’ her.  The captain listened intently, obviously deep in thought.  I will never forget his question:  “ma’am, are you pregnant?”.  The husband’s eyes opened wider in surprise when she responded, “yes, I am, but how did you know that?”  Then, quickly to her husband she offered a barrage of apologies explaining that she was going to tell him during their vacation when the time seemed right.  Both listened intently as the captain explained echolocation and how it works.  He told them that the dolphins most likely ’saw’ the fetus and it was a curiosity to them.  That was probably why they continued to circle her and ‘ping’, enabling them to get a better vision.  The couple hugged most of the way back, joy shining on their faces.  The wife had an amazing dolphin experience, which the husband shared in his own way.  He had the pregnancy of their first child announced by spinner dolphins.

Come to Maui!  Get out on the water and keep the expectations high.  There is so much out there and it is waiting just for you!

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