West Hawaii Today West Hawaii Today ADVERTISING The first humpback whale sighting in West Hawaii waters was reported by Capt. Deron Verbeck of the Ocean Warrior from Wild Hawaii Ocean Adventures. Verbeck’s sighting on Thursday was off Kaiwi Point while
West Hawaii Today
The first humpback whale sighting in West Hawaii waters was reported by Capt. Deron Verbeck of the Ocean Warrior from Wild Hawaii Ocean Adventures.
Verbeck’s sighting on Thursday was off Kaiwi Point while on a snorkeling trip after pursuing a tip about a whale sighting by Capt. Ken Ellis of Captain Zodiac, Verbeck said.
“The whale was slowly moving north, but looked healthy. There were no sharks trailing the animal so I assumed it was just an early arrival. It actually got curious about the boat and approached us. I was able to hold my underwater camera over the side and capture a couple of images. We then just followed along as our guests were very excited to see this and I snapped a few shots with my land camera. Very exciting to see one so early that looks to be in such good health,” Verbeck said.
Last year, the first humpback whale of the season was sighted the week of Sept. 27, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA said the humpback whale season in Hawaii generally runs from November through May, although whales may be encountered in limited numbers during other months. As many as 12,000 humpback whales winter in Hawaiian waters each year. Endangered humpback whales are protected in Hawaii. Federal regulations prohibit approaching within 100 yards of whales when on the water, and 1,000 feet when operating an aircraft. These and other regulations apply to all ocean users, including vessel operators, kayakers, paddleboarders, windsurfers, swimmers and divers throughout the Hawaiian Islands, according to NOAA.
