The back story
Wild Hawaiʻi: Monk Seals, Green Turtles, Humpback Whales and the Sea Birds of Kaʻena
Hawaiian monk seals on the beaches, green turtles in the shallows, humpback whales from November to April and the sea birds of Kaʻena Point: the wild side of Hawaiʻi, and how to watch it well.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Jkrauska · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsHawaiʻi is the most remote island chain on earth, and its wild life comes from the sea: seals that haul out on the beaches, turtles grazing in the shallows and, each winter, humpback whales offshore.
Look out to sea from almost any Hawaiian shore between November and April and you may see a humpback whale blow: in those months the whales can be seen from shore and at sea across the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA).
This is the wild side of Hawaiʻi: the seals of the beaches, the turtles of the reef, the whales of winter and the birds of the island’s wildest point.
Monk seals on the beach
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world, NOAA Fisheries notes; it lives across some 1,500 miles of islands, from Kure Atoll in the north-west to Hawaiʻi Island in the south-east, and adults weigh 400 to 600 pounds.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © E bailey · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsIf one hauls out on your beach, keep well back and let it rest; it is protected by law.
Green turtles in the shallows
Green turtles are the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles; a typical adult is 3 to 4 feet long and weighs 300 to 350 pounds (NOAA Fisheries).
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Christoph Strässler · CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsWatch them graze from the water’s edge and never touch or chase them.
Whales of winter
From November through April, humpback whales gather in Hawaiian waters, and visitors to the sanctuary can see them from shore and at sea (NOAA).
Whales from the shore, every winter, from November through April.
Bring binoculars to a headland on a calm morning.
The sea birds of Kaʻena
At Kaʻena Point, the wild western tip of Oʻahu, the walk to the natural area reserve passes along a volcanic coast where you can watch marine mammals, sea birds and native plants (Hawaiʻi State Parks).
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Aaron Zhu · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsKeep to the path and keep dogs away.
Feature: whales from the shore
Between November and April you need no boat to see a humpback in Hawaiʻi: the whales are seen from shore as well as at sea throughout the sanctuary (NOAA).
Did you know? Did you know? The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world (NOAA Fisheries).
Our advice
Our advice: watch every animal from a distance, never feed or touch wildlife, and give seals and turtles on the beach their space; come back in winter for the whales.
Why it's on our list
- Monk seals on the beach
- Green turtles in the shallows
- Whales of winter
- The sea birds of Kaʻena
- Feature: whales from the shore
- Our advice
Location
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