#first whale

Pacific Whale Foundation’s Ocean Spirit spotted its first whale of the season this morning, Oct. 9, 2019 at exactly 11 a.m. The spotting was made in the ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui and Lānaʻi by PWF Captain Chris Walsh during a private Ocean Camp charter.

As 12,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawaiʻi each year. Approaching humpback whales within 100 yards or within 1,000 feet by air is illegal.

Pacific Whale Foundation spotted their first whale of the season today, Oct. 20, 2016, off the coast of Lahaina in West Maui. A captain aboard the Ocean Discovery confirmed the sighting after being alerted to the possible sighting by crew aboard the Queen’s Treasure.

Maui’s first humpback whale sighting was reported this weekend, just after 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, about two nautical miles north of Molokini Crater.

Crews aboard two vessels reported spotting Maui’s first humpback whale of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, offshore of Māla Wharf in West Maui.

The first humpback whale of the season was spotted two miles off Ukumehame yesterday (Wednesday, October 20, 2010).  The whale was a lone young adult and was spotted by Captain Chris Howard aboard the Alii Nui vessel at around 11:15 a.m. Records dating back to 1998, show that 9 of the 13 first reported sightings […]