Outdoor writer Harry Middleton once said, “Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it.”
That quote is especially true fishing off the shores of West Hawaii. You never know what you will see once you leave the harbor.
Anytime you leave Honokohau Harbor by boat is a new adventure into an ever-changing dynamic ocean, analogous to the ever-growing island you leave behind, and it’s not just about fishing.
Over the years, writing about gargantuan-sized blue marlin, I have often described Kona as the “Jurassic Park” of the fishing world, and it’s true. The pristine, nutrient-rich, limitless blue water found off Hawaii’s western shoreline hosts a world of marine diversity of not only fish but a variety of marine mammals and birds. This biodiversity is what makes fishing out of Kona unique.
When the fish aren’t biting, it’s easy to miss the beauty of the forest because of the ugliness of a few trees. Getting too focused on not catching can lead to a tunnel vision perspective which often ignores the incredible marine environment you’re fishing in. Being on the ocean here is amazing, and you never know what you may encounter on a fishing trip.
Hawaii is not only one of the best fisheries in the world. It is a marine mammal hot spot. Did you know that 13 species of whales and seven species of dolphins can be seen in Hawaiian waters?
There are some interesting sharks around, too. In the past month, there have been multiple sightings of whale sharks and two major schools of spawning hammerheads.
There is too much marine life to write about in a single column, so this week I’d like to focus on the whales you have a good chance of seeing while you’re out fishing.
I’ll start with the species you are most likely to see and species recently seen within the past month. Followed by a list of other whales that roam our waters you could possibly see on any given day on a fishing charter.
Humpbacks
We all know these loveable characters — the humpbacks. They parade into warm Hawaiian waters like the Ringling Brothers “Greatest Show on Earth.” Visiting historically, between November and April, with the peak season January through March, humpbacks tend to get all the attention.
Their size, magnificent breaches, tail smacking and aloha-like pectoral fin waving, make them pretty easy to see. Hawaii is the only state in the United States where humpback whales mate, calve and nurse their young. It is believed they do this because of our warm waters, great underwater visibility, the variety of ocean depths, and the lack of natural predators.
I would be surprised if you did not see humpback whales if you were out on the ocean from now to March. Look for them inshore, offshore and in between. They are all over the place.
Short-finned
pilot whales
Short-finned pilot whales are the most common whale you’ll see fishing off Kona year-round. They are a large, robust black whale with a bulbous head and no beak. These highly social whales are usually found resting or feeding in large pods of up to 50 animals, between depths of 750-1,200 fathoms.
Adult pilot whales are easy to identify by their curved dorsal fins. Males known as bulls can attain lengths over 25 feet and females around 16 feet. Extremely social animals, researchers suggest males and females never leave their mothers pods.
Beaked Whales
While three species of beaked whales, Cuvier’s, Blainville and Longmans, are found in Hawaiian waters, the two species you are most likely to see off Kona are Cuvier’s and Blainville.
Beaked whales have long robust, cigar-shaped bodies with small dorsal fins far back from their heads, about two-thirds back of its body length away from its head. Besides the far back positioning of their dorsal fins, these whales can be identified by their beak. Cuvier’s have a short beak, and Blainville have a long, almost dolphin-like beak.
Sometimes the easiest way to differentiate the adults of the species is Cuvier’s are often a mottled rusty brownish-grey and appear to be a huge log floating in the water. A Blainville whale is brown to olive.
Cuvier’s are a little larger of the two, getting up to 20 feet in length, whereas Blainville whales are smaller and reach lengths of 15 feet. Both species are normally found off West Hawaii relatively close to shore in depths around 500 fathoms.
Sperm Whale
Sperm whales and their calves are out there too. Normally these behemoths are found at least 10 miles offshore, but this past month, two separate mother-calf pairs were found within 10 miles of the coast.
Sperm whales are easy to spot because of their tremendous size. They reach up to 60 feet in length, have a huge head with a prominent rounded forehead. The easiest way to identify them from a distance is by their spout.
Whereas large whales like humpbacks and fin whales blow spouts go straight up in the air, sperm whale spouts blow at a 45-degree angle in front of the head. Worth noting is sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth.
So I’ve only mentioned the whale species I’ve seen or heard about in the past month and have just scratched the surface. Many more whale species are swimming around the Hawaiian archipelago as your reading this article.
Melon-headed whales, false killer whales, pygmy killer whales, dwarf sperm whales, pygmy sperm whale, Longman’s beaked whales, huge fin whales and even killer whales aka orca. Along with, seven dolphin species, whale sharks, schools of hammerheads and pelagic birds.
Whenever you’re on the ocean, having situational awareness of not only your immediate surroundings, but everything within your eyesight, will give you the real feel of being on the water. Making for a more enjoyable day of fishing.
It’s my sincerest hope that in addition to catching fish, you get a chance to experience some of these magnificent creatures that many people will never get a chance to see in their lifetime.
Catching the
winter blues?
By Kona standards, the offshore bite was relatively calm over the past week but considering there were multiple blue marlin hook-ups, two blue marlin over 500 pounds, a few striped marlin, spearfish, ahi and a couple of sailfish reported. I’d say fishing is still pretty darned good.
Congrats to angler Mike Johnson, who released an estimated 600-pound blue marlin fishing with Capt. John Bagwell on the Silky, and to angler Breanna Nelson, who boated a 553-pound blue marlin fishing with Capt. Andy Diehl on the charter boat Bite Me 3. The two anglers receive the honor of catching the biggest fish of the week.
Two nice size sailfish, a somewhat rare occurrence off the shores of West Hawaii, were caught and weighed this week. Congrats to Arlon Mongeau who caught a 63.5-pounder fishing with Capt. Joe Mongeau on the Deja Blue and to David Case for catching a 62.5-pounder commendably from his kayak.
Most people who fish understand that fishing isn’t just about catching fish, it’s more about the experience. Standing in the parking lot at Honokohau the other day, it saddened me to overhear some charter clients complaining about not catching fish. Come on people, it’s fishing, have fun, you can’t catch fish all the time, and the only way to catch them is to get out and try.
Charter captains are fully aware their clients pay good money to try to catch fish, and believe me, they want to catch fish more than you do — their livelihood depends upon it.
If you’re new at the fishing game, it’s important not to let slow fishing get you down. It only takes a second off Kona for a slow day to turn into the most memorable fishing experience of your life. Legions of Kona anglers can testify to that.
Big Fish List
We have a new big fish list started, please contact us if you think you caught the biggest fish of an individual species. There are a lot of open positions right now too.
Nice article Mark, WHT needs more of this.
Most enjoyable article I have read in this paper, keep up the good work!