Maui Snorkeling Trips

Artwork Courtesy Mike Ogata©

Researchers tell us that fifty million years ago our whales’ ancestors walked on land, ate meat and possibly grasses, and headed into water when volcanoes activity began to take out much of land-based life forms.  It wasn’t until about thirty million years ago that baleen whales began to evolve.  What an amazing beginning to the ocean’s largest of predators!

The above picture of a humpback calf resting reminds us of how fragile and delicate species can be.  There is much talk of releasing the hunting ban on humpback whales.  It was Jacques Cousteau who said “a world without whales is unthinkable.” and I feel most of us agree.  To insure they remain for future generations is going to take a combined effort, but they can be saved.

Watching whales has been proven to be way more lucrative than whale hunting.  Even though one whale is worth one million dollars to the companies who still insist on this type of hunting, once the whales are gone the income will cease.  To keep these animals around just makes good business sense.

Whale watching in Hawaii has been on the rise, with more companies joining in an effort to keep up with the demands of whale watchers.  Keep loving them everyone!  December will be here before we know it and our wonderful humpbacks will return.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.  It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin

Photo Courtesy K. Velasquez

“What is that?”  The question was being asked by many passengers who were watching the turquoise glow shimmering in the warm tropical sun.  That color was a humpback white pectoral fin reflecting the sun.  We all waited with great anticipation as the animal rose slowly, took air and began to move away, followed very quickly by a scarred up male who seemed to be patiently standing by.

When on a marine safari in Hawaii it is always wise to remain vigilant and keep a watchful eye in the waters surrounding the vessel.  Our comfortable catamaran affords a wide and spacious upper viewing deck making it very easy to walk from side to side and gaze into the beautiful blue water.

It was a ‘mugging’ today.  The whales chose to come over and spend their valuable time with whale lovers old and young.  The amount of animals in the waters surrounding Maui makes it very easy to find whales to spend time with.  But it is the call of the individual that makes a close encounter one that will never be forgotten.  Can hardly wait for tomorrow!

Photo Courtesy K. Velasquez

Today’s whale watch was very challenging for the boat captain, but the whales never cease to amaze.  Twice mothers with calves approached the boat to check out the curious whale watchers.  Winds were clipping at 30-35 mph, but hardy passengers wearing jackets and secured hats kept cameras in hand as they clung to the railing.  Even though there is a comfortable and spacious cabin, everyone chose to stay on the upper deck of the comfortable and smooth feeling catamaran in hopes of getting a glimpse of these majestic and popular marine mammals.

Humpback migration season is in full swing with mom/calf groups seeming to dominate the waters around Maui.  Playful calves frolic and learn while sub adults and adult singles mingle in the waters around all islands hoping to mate before having to head back up to northern waters around Canada, Alaska and the Aleutian Islands in search of the fish they love.

Tomorrow we will board and head back out in search of the ‘friendlies’.  Cameras ready, caps off, those memory cards will quickly fill up and so will our hearts.

Photo Courtesy K. Velasquez

It is peak humpback whale season and mother/calf groups are everywhere you look.  It is truly amazing to witness the population growth researchers talk about.

The calf in this picture was practicing breaching after mother left the water with a tremendous splashdown.  The calf then breached again and again for about 15 minutes before seeming to tire out.  The pair were quiet for a few minutes with the calf resting on its mother’s head, then breaching behaviors resumed, much to the delight of passengers, crew and captain.

Why do they breach?  Researchers believe breaching has multiple reasons such as sloughing skin, dislodging barnacles, parasites, remoras or cookie cutter sharks.  In the feeding grounds breaching is seen as communications and stunning prey, along with some of the same reasons mentioned above.  Whatever the meaning, breaching is a behavior one never forgets when seeing it up close.  The sound upon landing is a tremendous BOOM, which researchers say can be heard for a great distance, and divers in Hawaii can verify that.

Coming to Hawaii?  People come from all over the world to Hawaii this time of year just for the humpbacks.  Come out with us, we have plenty of room!

Photo Courtesy Darren Baker, Fishbase.org

Blue sharks are found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters.  In Hawaii these beautiful sharks can also be seen in near-shore waters as well.  The largest blue shark on record, according to researchers, was 12.6 feet, but they are rumored to reach up to 20 feet.  This length has yet to be documented.  Researchers believe male sharks mature first around 4 to 5 years old and about 9 feet in length.  Females age about 5 to 6 years and 7 to 10.5 feet long.  Most researchers believe these animals can live for about 20 years, provided they don’t get fished out. Most shark species are slow to mature, and have few offspring.  Researchers do not know how many out of each litter survive, but odds are definitely against survival, in any form.

Fishing globally is taking our shark populations down at a rapid rate, even in Hawaii.  According to Gerald Crow, who wrote Sharks & Rays of Hawaii, thousands of sharks lose their lives every year to the fishing industry and show up in the marketplace.  Sharks are not a protected specie in Hawaii and many other places worldwide.  According to the IUCN, over 50% of the global shark species are critically endangered.

According to researchers, if this fishing industry is allowed to continue, in addition to the finning industry, which takes over 100 MILLION sharks annually, our oceans have less than 100 years before they collapse.  If this is true, we are all in dire trouble.  In Hawaii alone, from 1991 to 1999, nearly 900,000 sharks were killed for the marketplace.  These were mostly blue, mako and thresher sharks.  The style of fishing was long-lining, which is famous for indiscriminate taking of turtles, marine mammals, and many others.

What do we do?  First, we need to all educate ourselves.  Go to reliable websites and become armed with information.  Boycott restaurants that serve shark fin soup, and tell them why.  Physically go in to the restaurant, check the menu, and tell the management you will return when that item is removed, and walk out.  Write letters to your local newspapers.  Blog about it.  Protest in your area and ceaselessly put pressure to pass laws for shark protection.  Our children, our future depends on it.  The time is now.

We are often asked about porpoise and dolphins when we are out on the water during one of our marine safaris.  First, we do not have porpoise in Hawaiian waters.  Porpoise have very blunt rostrums, short, triangular dorsal fins and their teeth are spade shaped.  In the above photos, the triangular-shaped, dark dorsal fin is a spinner dolphin, whose rostrum very long.  They have a black eye-stripe, which flows to the pectoral fin.  Spinners grow 6 or 7 feet and weigh up to 170 pounds, according to research.  They usually rest during the day and feed in the evening hours.  Spinner dolphins can occur in groupings of hundreds, or even in the thousands, and those fortunate enough to come across them will be delighted by their leaping out of the water on their axis, sometimes jumping up to 10 or more times.   

In the other picture, the sickle shaped dorsal fin is that of the bottlenose dolphin.  Their rostrum is much shorter than the spinner dolphin’s.  They can reach a length of 10-14 feet, according to National Geographic, weigh over 1,000 pounds and have been observed leaping out of the water up to 16 feet high, landing on their backs.  They can live up to 50 years.  Bottlenose are usually seen in groups of 10 or less.  In Maui County, we have 137 bottlenose, according to Dr. Robin Baird, who tells us this population have cut themselves off from those of the Big Island and O’ahu.  Researchers tell us they can make up to 1,000 clicks per second, using echolocation, which both species of dolphins do.  Bottlenose are diurnal feeders and are frequently seen traveling with humpback whales.  Sometimes they are seen on top of a whale, apparently playing, but researchers are not sure.  In a past posting, we have a link to a video you can enjoy, if you haven’t seen it already.  Both species have conical shaped teeth.

So, there you have it!  The differences between the two species are distinct, but both are beautiful and really fun to find on any excursion.  As with any marine mammal, while in Hawaii it is illegal to approach to swim with, or interact for any reason.  Just remember to give them their due space and they will give you amazing memories. 

How many times have we heard the saying “stop and smell the flowers”?  Often times we get so caught up in our daily lives, routines, emails, textings, and phone calls that we forget to take the time to look around us.  For city dwellers, a simple walk in a park could help one reconnect.  Some may take a Saturday or Sunday trip to a local Home Depot garden department for yard improvements.  We all need to take a daily moment to look at the unusual cloud formations, a soaring bird or jumping fish, the butterfly that flutters close enough to touch, or stop to smell that beautiful blossom.  The Hawaiian Islands are a very special place for everyone to come and play, enjoy boating, snorkeling, and the beautiful blossoms of the sub tropics.  Just showing gratitude for being alive can bring amazing results.

Nature lives in all of us.  When watching children play I have noticed many times how they are connected with nature in their own special ways.  Without being told to they will smell flowers, point out working bees or butterflies, and stop playing to watch a bird fly overhead.

Working to pay bills forces most of us into an exhausting lifestyle that most of us wish we didn’t have.  But if we could vow each day to give nature just one minute we may be surprised how much happiness doing this can bring.  Maybe we would smile more often, greet a stranger without thinking about it, help someone without being asked, and yes, stop to smell a flower.

Photo Courtesy Katie Grove-Velasquez

Although it is the end of the season, there are still many humpback whales around the Hawaiian islands looking to mate.  This very large male escort traveling next to a lovely female appeared to be very agitated.  There were at least six other males behind him trying to take his place, something he was trying to prevent with every ounce of his strength.  Fighting males not only impress females, but whale watchers never get enough.  The above move is called a head slap.  Looking at the second picture you may notice some water spewing out of the slightly opened mouth.  He did this several times.  One reason, according to researchers, could be male dominance.  As the primary escort, he and the female could already have mated, so he is trying to prevent others from doing the same so he can sire the offspring.  Although the male and female connection is very short, researchers believe the primary escort may spend several hours with one female for selfish reasons.  They are promiscuous, we are told, so mating as often as situations allow makes perfect sense.  Time is running out for all humpbacks.  Mother, calf pairs are still easily found, but the singletons are becoming scarce.  Today, we were fortunate.  This small female (about 40 feet long) had six going after her escort, and as we watched for over one hour, two more males came speeding in.  What happened after we left them is up to the imagination.  It does seem that the competitions we find are more in earnest than ones we were watching last month.  Perhaps they are feeling the desperation of their situation.  We also watch competitions begin around mother, calf pairs.  Do the mothers mate while lactating?  Researchers tell us they do, in fact some females are known for that, being seen several years in a row with little ones, then not showing up in Hawaiian waters for two to three years apparently taking a ‘break’ from mating.

Whales we were watching weeks ago are long gone and back up in Alaskan, Canadian, and Aleutian waters feasting on the fish they favor.  Tomorrow we head out again, anxious to find any animals not minding being watched.  I can hardly wait!

What does ALOHA mean to you?  For most mainland people, aloha means goodbye, or hello.  For the people of Hawaii it could mean those words, but one may add love and caring.  Many years ago the word’s meaning was broken down as this:  A means light, enlightenment, or mana; LO on this earth; HA, through the living breath, or spirit of our Creator.  So, when one said ALOHA, they literally meant “I greet God in you and you greet God in me.  We are His family.”  This explanation came from Inez Ashdown, co-founder of the Maui Historical Society and good friend of Queen Liliuokalani, the last reining monarch of the Hawaiian people.

Over time, many of the older meanings have been forgotten, but not lost.  In highly valued archives the books, some written by missionaries, some by others and translated from the Hawaiian language, are intact and waiting to be read.  

Our humpback whales are thinning out now and most have headed northward to find the fish they love to dine on.  Once they are about halfway to Alaska they could snack on sardines and other oily fish.  When they reach their destination, which is southeast Alaska, they will begin to feast, some eating about one ton per day.  The Hawaiian channels feel very empty when the beloved whales are gone, but it will only be six or seven months time before they return.  A few mothers with calves remain in the nursery areas lovingly taking care of their little ones and making sure all their needs are met.  When ready the calves will be led by their mothers up to the feeding grounds, some being weaned on the way up and others weaned while learning to feed on krill, capelin, sandlance, herring, sardines and small salmon.  Depending on gender, females mature before males, the calves will return to the breeding grounds in five to 10 years time.  

So, it is with heavy hearts that we have to say ALOHA to our humpback whales, but in just a few short months we will be again saying ALOHA when they return.  We all share this planet, and in that respect, we are family.

PHOTO COURTESY DR. ROBIN BAIRD/CASCADIA RESEARCH

According to Dr. Robin Baird of Cascadia Research, both insular and offshore populations of Hawaiian false killer whales could be in trouble.  These cetaceans are a beautiful animal in the dolphin family, which can grow to 15 – 20 feet in length, the males being larger.  False killer whales are so named because of their skull similarities to the orca.  Their skin is black to dark gray in color and their teeth are conical and quite large.  Their heads are bulbous in shape and they have a small falcate dorsal fin located about midway down their back and their distinctive flippers have a bulge on the leading edge.  These animals are slow to reach maturity, not reproducing until their teens, and have calves every 6 to 7 years.  On a really good day on the water, boaters can see these very quick moving animals.  

These cetaceans are usually pelagic, but their feeding habits may bring them occasionally close to shore.  In Hawaiian waters these animals are occasionally caught by long liners, which can be fatal.  They eat fish and squid and are seen passing a catch around to each member of their group before sharing their meal. 

New evidence suggests that in the last 20 years the Hawaiian false killers population has dramatically dropped.  Dr. Baird calls them ‘upper tropic level predators’.   If there are highly toxic levels in the fish they eat, the toxins are passed directly to the calves through mother’s milk.  Some of the calves tested had toxicity levels that were off the charts.  What is an even more frightening thought is we humans eat the same fish they do, mahi-mahi, tuna, etc.

Is there an answer?  We need to all put our heads together and work quickly.  If their downward spiral continues, we will most certainly lose our Hawaiian animals.  If this is due to toxic food, then how long before this poisoning is realized in humans?  What can these types of poisons do to, not just adults, but our children?  The world is watching.  What is our next move, Hawaii?

For more information, or to read Dr. Baird’s research and see the beautiful photos, go to:http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/robin/falsekillerwhale.htm.