Humpback Whales are amazing creatures that inhabit the Hawaiian waters during the winter months.
There is so much that researchers still have to learn about them, but we do know some very interesting things about them such as…

• Humpback Whales spend their summers in Alaskan waters, eating and putting on weight
• Like many human visitors, they enjoy a winter vacation in the warmth of Hawaii, for the whales it’s usually about 4 months long. However, no luaus for Humpbacks, they do not eat while in Hawaiian Waters
• During spring and summer they migrate between their two places of residence
• They travel around 3-5 mph during migration
• Their journey to and from Hawaii takes them anywhere from 30 to 60 days
• Fully grown adults can be 40-50 feet in length
• They weigh 40-45 TONS – that is over 80,000 pounds!
• They have 15-25 “ventral pleats” which allow them to stretch their mouth out to over 4 times it’s normal size and they can make up to a 90 degree angle with their mouth!
• When Humpbacks breath, the water rushes out of their blowhole at speeds of over 300 mph
• Humpback’s blubber is about 7 inches thick on their journey to Hawaii and by the time their vacation is finished, they only have about 2 inches remaining
• Singing male Humpbacks can hold their breath up to 1 hour when they’re serenading the females

• They typically live to 35-40 years, but some have lived to over 50 years old
• Humpbacks have specially shaped corneas that allow them to have excellent vision both in and outside of the water
• They have knobby bumps on their back called “tubercles” with 1 single hair growing out which scientists suggest help detect motion and sound vibrations underwater
• Scientists estimate that Humpbacks have highly developed sense of taste because of their tendency towards certain species of fish
• They have no teeth – instead they have 300-400 baleen which allows them to filter their prey when they eat
• Their diet consists of krill, herring, capelin, sand lance, and mackerel- and they can eat over 1 ton of it in a day!
• The Humpback’s primary predators are sharks and Orca (killer) Whales
• Babies born in Hawaii weigh around 1 1/2 tons and are 12-15 feet long. They can consume up to 100 gallons of their mother’s milk in a given day.
• The Humpback Whale faced extinction in the 1980s when commercial whaling was still legal, since this was outlawed the populations are slowly growing back.

During your trip with us, you will learn more about these fascinating creatures and their home, the Pacific Ocean.
For more information about booking a tour with us, please see the reservations & contact page.