February and March are prime times for up close viewing of Humpback Whales in the waters off Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii. The warm, clear protected waters of Hawaii make for an excellent spot to watch these massive mammals weighing 66,000 pounds as they breach, spyhop, sing, pec slap, tail throw, tail slap, lunge, fluke and perform other acrobatics sometimes within meters of your boat. If you are lucky you may even get involved in a “mugging” where a curious Humpback Whale comes up close to check out and play around your boat.
In February we attended a photo workshop in Maui hosted by Ralph Lee Hopkins. The event was a fund raiser for the annual Whale Tales conference hosted by the Maui Whale Trust ( http://www.whaletrust.org/ ). During our visit we had the opportunity to spend 19+ hours out on the water off Lahaina whale watching where 80% of the migrating whales hang out. Maui and other parts of the Hawaiian Islands are one of the wintering spots for 6,000+ Humpback Whales migrating annually the 3,500 miles from their Alaska feeding grounds. They start arriving in these warm protected waters in January and usually stay till March. The Moms come to give birth and nurse their calves in safety, while the males come for mating, forming competitive pods known for their violence as males compete for the privilege of winning over a female.

Check out our 19+ hours of whale watching squeezed into a 150 second slide show. http://youtu.be/fDcDH0hbUAY

For a surreal peak into the magical underwater world of the Humpback Whales of Maui: http://youtu.be/JYea8L1zmrk

For purchase or for usage rights contact: billklipp@wkimages.net