The coast off the North Shore near Haleiwa is less crowed with tourist charters than many of the other spots and is a good place to see Humpbacks who spend their winters here breeding after coming down from Alaska where they feed in the summer. The quieter the better, if you’re the only boat on the water you’re not competing for whales and have a better chance of getting right up close to them. The last time I went out in these waters our boat was bumped by a juvenile and later by his mum who had come to make sure we were playing nicely. There are rules about how close boats are allowed to approach the whales, but no rules saying the whales can’t approach you. Hydrophones and onboard biologists will add to your experience and give you a better understanding of why the whales are behaving the way they are. The most dramatic kinds of behaviours occur in the breeding season when the males are competing to get the attention of females and will breach, charge each other with their heads and engage in lots of flipper flapping. The males are also keen serenaders during the breeding season. Hearing the strange themes and sequences of whale song maybe one of the highlights of your experience. You’ll see calves but the births occur while the whales are in Alaska. The Auau Channel, Maui is a busier spot for whale watchers with more charter companies operating in the area, but you can also watch Humpbacks from the shore here, better for small children and the queasy. Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai is also a well known shore watching spot.

Written by  terry.fielding.

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