Humpback whales return to the waters off Kauai every winter, to mate and calve their young. You can see the whales from shore, just down the street from The Aloha House. You don’t even need binoculars. To spot one, look for a plume of spray against the horizon.
If you think you’ve seen a whale plume, chances are you have. Keep your gaze trained on the general area, and before long you’ll see other plumes, followed by the shapes of whales breaking the surface.
Full breaches are the most exciting to see. These occur when the giant mammals get airborne, lifting their enormous torsos high above the waves, before crashing back down with an epic splash.
Sometimes it’s these splashes which attract your attention first. The commotion is so large, you might wonder if some large object has just fallen from the ski: a plane or a meteorite or a random piece of space junk.
However you do it, you need to come see the whales. They’re here in force from December through February, but can still been seen as late as May.