Environmental Page

Humpback Whales – Hawaii’s Winter Visitors
Each year from November to May, humpback whales escape the chilly waters of the North Pacific by migrating thousands of miles to enjoy the warmth found in the Hawaiian Islands. While in Hawaii’s waters, they spend much of their time breeding and nursing their young.

• An estimated 8,000-10,000 humpback whales migrate to the Hawaiian Islands each year. Approximately 1,000 calves are born in Hawaii’s waters annually.

• The humpback is the fifth largest whale reaching up to 50 feet in length and weighing an average of 40 tons. Females are slightly larger than males. Calves are 12-15 feet long at birth and weigh 3,000 pounds. Humpbacks live 40-60 years.

• Humpbacks have distinct imprints and characteristics that make each whale identifiable, including distinguishing black and white markings on the underside of the tail (fluke) comparable to human fingerprints. Researchers use these prints to track the whales and discover clues about migration and social habits.

Some of the humpback’s dramatic surface behavior includes:

• Breaching – A powerful acrobatic display in which the humpback uses its tail to propel itself into the air, landing on the surface with a resounding splash. Other whale species breach, but none as dramatically as the humpback.

• Blowing or Spouting – The normal exhalation and inhalation at the surface. Air exhaled through the humpback’s blowhole expands, causing the temperature to decrease, thereby condensing it into water vapor. Spouting can reach heights of 20 feet and be heard up to 800 feet away.

• Round Out or Peduncle Arch – When preparing for a deep dive, humpbacks will arch their bodies slightly while rolling ahead at the surface. This pronounced arching of the back earned the humpback its name.

• Spyhopping – This often results because of the humpback’s inquisitive nature. Before “spyhopping,” the humpback’s eyes are either slightly above or below the surface enabling it to see anything nearby. Positioned vertically, the humpback then rises and holds its stance partially out of the water, often exposing its entire rostrum and head.

• Tail Slap – This consists of a humpback raising its tail out of the water and slapping it forcefully on the surface.

For more information about humpbacks, please visit the Hawaii Whale Research Foundation website at www.hwrf.org.

Back to Oahu-Cruises Activity Page
Back to the Top