Humback Whale near Oahu, Hawaii Photo By NOAA's National Ocean Service

Are you going to be on the Big Island between December and April? If so, you’re in luck. Humpback whales make Hawaii their winter home as well. In fact they travel 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii every year. Of course a flight from Anchorage to Honolulu only takes a little over six hours while the whales have to swim for two months.

Viewing a humpback whale is a spectacular sight. The forty-five foot long sea creature will often shoot up over the ocean surface like a slow moving spinner dolphin. There’s nothing quite like seeing an animal that weighs over 40 tones propelling itself through the air. If you happen to be snorkeling within twelve miles of a male humpback, you’ll hear their underwater song .

Humpback Whale and Calf, Hawaii

Hawaiians call the humpback kohola and many believed the whale is a family guardian. The whales are also considered kamaaina or native Hawaiians because the calves are born in the warm shallow water near the islands. In the last ten years Hawaii’s whale population has doubled and it is estimated that 6,000 to 8,000 call the islands their winter home.

So, how do you see one of these monstrous fellows?

You can hire a guide and charter a boat in Kona. Boats are prohibited from going within 100 yards of the whales, but that is still close enough to get a good view. You can also spot them from the beach. The Kohala Coast has some great locations for viewing and the Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site is a particularly good place to see them. On the east side of the Big Island whales can be seen from Hilo Bay.