Getting to Know False Killer Whales

Among the 18 species of whales and dolphins in Hawaii, the false killer whale is one of the most endangered. In 2012, the NOAA recognized a population of only 150 individuals inhabiting Hawaiian waters.Perhaps this is exactly the reason why, the dwindling population of these rare sea mammals, sparks our curiosity to understand them better.

Similarities and differences between the false killer whale and the true killer whale

Although classified as oceanic dolphins, false killer whales derive their name from the Orca, the “true” killer whales, with which they share a large number of characteristics, including their charcoal black appearance.Both species mature late with females becoming reproductively active at around the age of 10 years and males at about the age of 18 years! They only calve once in 6 to 7 years, and females experience menopause. On rare occasions it has been known for a false killer whale to mate with a bottlenose dolphin giving rise to a new species called the Wholphin.Of the oceanic dolphins, the pseudo orcas are regarded to be the third largest in size.

Killer whales, both “true” and “false”, are the only recognized cetaceans that actively hunt other marine mammals. But unlike the true killer whale, the false killer whale rarely attacks mammalian prey preferring to feed primarily on tuna, ono, mahimahi, swordfish and marine birds. In fact there have been intermittent observations of true orca preying on false killer whales.

Communication and Social Habits

Despite being a species that is widely distributed throughout tropical and temperate regions across the world, very little is known about the pseudo orca in comparison to other dolphin species. Information regarding this species has mostly been accumulated from observations of stranded dolphins in and around coastlines worldwide.

False killer whales are recognized as social and playful creatures. They tend to live and travel in large aggregations that extend to several miles. This also increases their success in hunting prey. Communication involves high pitched clicks and whistles. Like other dolphin species, echolocation is used to help navigate dark waters and locate prey or other members in their pod. Pseudo orcas have also been observed to share food and support one another in case of injuries.

Precautions

Friendly and curious by nature, false killer whales do not hesitate to approach people. In fact, on occasion they have been known to offer fish to humans, snorkeling,sailing or scuba diving.  Nevertheless it is advised that people stay cautious and keep a distance from pseudo orcas in the wild. The safest way to observe these majestic sea creatures is by hiring a private charter to take you to areas most frequented by dolphins and whales.

Multiple populations of dolphins and whales have been regularly documented within Hawaiian waters by marine biologists. These cetaceans either reside in the temperate waters of Hawaii or are temporarily visiting while they journey around the globe. However, it must be remembered that sighting false killer whales cannot be guaranteed a hundred percent even in the pleasant clear waters of Hawaii.

Snorkeling with Green Sea Turtles

Kailua, the legendary Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is said to have the powers to transform into a young maiden. When children played on the beach Kailua watched over them, and when they were thirsty she would guide them to freshwater springs. It is said that she is the mother of all Green Sea Turtles, and perhaps, of all children. Legend also claims that it was the Green Sea Turtle that led the first travelers to Hawaii.

The Best Time to Snorkel with Sea Turtles

If you would like to snorkel with Kailua’s majestic family, the best time to plan a visit is during the summer months when the waters are calmer. As a rule, calm waters make it easy to observe the turtles.

The winter months bring with them larger waves, which consequently attract surfers. Generally, it is not very wise to go snorkeling, where there are surfers. 

The Best Places to Snorkel with Hawaiian Sea Turtles

Turtle Town in West Maui, an extraordinary set of lava formations developed underwater by submarine volcanoes years ago, is agreed to be the most ideal snorkeling destination for this purpose. Marine biologists say that Sea Turtles exhibit a “strong site-fidelity” that causes them to return to the area of their birth repeatedly, especially if it is rich in food source. Maui Turtle Town is a storehouse of seaweed and algae – the equivalent of ambrosia to turtles.

The Honokeana Cove in Napili, Kapalua, and Honolua Bay are other well-known places that the Hawaiian sea turtle is known to frequent on a regular basis.

What to Expect

Interestingly,Green Sea Turtles have dark brown shells with irregular patterns or swirls of gold, olive and reddish tints, instead of green as we’d expect. The name, ‘Green Sea Turtle’ is derived from the color of their body fat, which is green – most likely because of all the algae that they munch on all day.

While swimming with the sea turtles you may notice some resting under ledges or in “cleaning stations,” where herbivorous fish nibble away the algae smudged on elegant turtle shells.

The experience of snorkeling with these beautiful creatures can be described as nearly transcendental. Sea turtles don’t swim away from humans immediately. In fact, many snorkelers have been surprised to find themselves being casually observed by a sea turtle swimming a few feet away. This provides for some amazing underwater photography.

Tips and Precautions

Green Sea Turtles are federally protected and it is against the law to touch them. It’s also important to know that a stressed turtle can drown in a few minutes in spite of being able to stay under water for up to 5 hours. Gauge the comfort level of a turtle by watching for an abrupt wakening from a stupor-like state, “yawns”, or flippers swiping across the forehead area.

Visit Hawaii, hire the best Charter Boat services, enjoy the various fares provided on board and drift down the warm Hawaiian waters, on an idyllic Turtle Watch. If you wish to snorkel with the Turtles, the expert crew can guide you to the best spots, where you can snorkel with the turtles and chalk up an entirely exhilarating experience on your trip calendar.

Understanding Dolphins

Dolphins have always held a fascination for humans. Their intelligence, friendliness, grace, beauty, willingness to interact and even play with humans are unique, to these underwater creatures. Traditionally, to get close to the Dolphins, we visit large aquariums or theme parks that house these wonderful creatures. However, of late there has been a backlash against holding these joyous creatures in captivity, even though they do appear to be happy. Keeping them in an unnatural environment is actually cruel. So if you want to get close to dolphins but want to do it in a kind and natural manner, how would you go about it? On a charter boat, of course.

Snorkel with Dolphins

Going out on a charter boat to the spots where the dolphin pods swim, is the ideal way to see them. The best place to snorkel with the dolphins, is in the warm tropical waters, off the Big Island of Hawaii. Charter boats with expert crew and guides, often ply the Hawaiian waters, carrying guests to and fro, so that they may experience, the many different types of excursions available. One such tour is the Snorkeling experience with the Wild, Spinner Dolphins.

Before you begin your enthralling and refreshing experience of snorkeling with the dolphins, understanding them would help create a better environment for you and the dolphins.

Facts about Dolphins

• Habitat: Most species of dolphins live in saltwater. They are generally found in the shallow waters off continental coastlines in warm and temperate regions. However, there are a few species that can be found in freshwater environments like rivers.
• Food: Dolphins are carnivores that feed off the marine life available in the water where they swim. They usually eat fish like mackerel, herring, cod etc. and also squids. Some of the larger dolphin types like killer whales (yes, they are dolphins and no, despite their name they are not dangerous to humans) feed on turtles, sea lions and seals.
• Predators: Dolphins are themselves food for the larger species of sharks for whom their large quantity of meat with a high fat content makes a very nutritious meal. Besides that, they have few other natural enemies.
• Reproduction: Dolphins are mammals that give live birth to their young and nurse them until they are old enough to find their own food and feed off marine life. The young stay close to their mothers until they are mature enough to fend for themselves.
• Intelligence: Dolphins’ ability to learn commands from humans, and play and interact with them, is a sign of a high level of cognitive ability, rare in the animal kingdom. However, this does not mean that actions like appearing to smile or the clapping of flippers, are a show of humanlike emotions. These are just natural and instinctive responses to external stimuli.
• Social System: Dolphins are social creatures who live and travel in groups. This provides them with both the company they need as well as assisting them in hunting and protecting themselves.

Make sure that a Dolphin swim is a part of your Hawaii experience. You won’t regret it.

Understanding Manta Rays

Snorkeling to swim with manta rays is one of the most exhilarating adventures you can have in the ocean. Do not let their size and possibly alarming shape fool you - they are mild creatures and do not harm humans so you are safe with them. Of course, you should always have a qualified snorkeling guide with you.

What They Are

Manta rays are cartilaginous fish and belong to the shark family, although they are distantly related. Mantas live in temperate tropical waters and are open ocean creatures. However, they often visit reefs regularly to feed on plankton and allow small fish to clean their skins. There are two types of manta rays – the larger is known as the manta birostris and the smaller is the manta alfredi. The alfredi is usually found nearer the coast. Although they are found in groups near the reefs, mantas are solitary creatures that swim alone and only gather to feed and to mate. They are intelligent animals and have the largest brain to body ratio in the ray and shark family.

What They Look Like

Manta rays have flat disc like bodies of a diamond shape. While being similar in appearance to other types of rays, mantas are the largest of their type. Because the shape of their horns is said to give them a devilish appearance, they are also known as Devil Rays. Adult rays usually have a wingspan of about 11 feet although some have been found with spans of up to 25 feet. Female rays tend to be larger than the males. Manta are black and gray on the top and mainly white on the underside. The black and gray pattern is unique to each manta and can be used to identify individual rays similar to the way stripes are used to identify individual tigers. The weight of the mantas varies, but a thumb rule is to estimate a weight of 50 to 100 pounds for each foot of length. Their lifespan is believed to be anywhere between 50 to 100 years.

Where They Swim

The manta alfredi is found in the waters, off the Big Island of Hawaii. Although they can dive as deep as 700 feet, they usually swim between the surface and 80 feet down, making it easy for snorkelers to get close to them. On an average, they can be found at depths of around 30 feet.

The best way to get the manta ray experience is to do a night time snorkel when the rays come to the coral reefs to feed on plankton. Go out with an experienced charter boat and crew that knows the best places to find the rays. Ideally, it should be a spot that both the rays and snorkelers frequent so the creatures are comfortable having humans around. The best boats will have special lights to attract the rays and allow you to get a good look at them. Hawaii is a great place to get close to these magnificent creatures. Find a charter boat and crew on the Big Island that are experts in snorkeling with manta rays and prepare to enjoy a magical experience.

Coral Reef Night Snorkeling Adventures - Part 1

If you are an experienced snorkeler, you know the wonders that await you underwater. If you have never tried it, the images of the underwater world you have seen in movies and on TV will have given you an idea of what you can expect to find below the surface. Most, if not all, of what you have seen on TV and in the movies, will be of the underwater world during the day. Snorkeling at night is another experience altogether.

A Unique Adventure

Snorkeling at night may seem to be intimidating at first. However, you will find that in terms of safety and physical experience, it is the same during the night as in the day, once you have been in the water for a few minutes. At night you will see nocturnal sea creatures that never emerge during the daylight hours. This is especially true of around coral reefs which come to life with a huge variety of fauna after dark. This is when you will see lobsters and shrimps and the mysterious microscopic plankton which generate flashes of light when you pass near and disturb them. When you see a flash of this light, turn off any lights you are carrying with you and wave your hands around. You will be enchanted by the sight of what appear to be sparks lighting up the water around you. It is not just the marine life alone that is enchanting but the coral and the flora look completely different, in comparison to what they look like during the day. At night coral polyps open up and give the reefs a fuzzy and multi-hued appearance.

The aura of the night is compelling. You swim in the dark with only your lights providing a tunnel of vision. The feeling is as if you are not just in another world, but another dimension. After your first experience, you are going to want to keep trying it. If you have your regular snorkeling spots, exploring them at night will show you sights that you will not have seen during the day.

Special Equipment

There is nothing much in the way of special equipment required for night snorkeling. A flashlight is, of course, essential. Chemical lights are useful for illuminating a wider area than a flashlight beam. A dive suit and gloves may be required because the water and air could be colder than during the day. They also help to protect you from scratches and small bruises since there are more chances of you bumping against something in the dark. An audible alarm can be useful for communicating with your buddies underwater, since hand signals may not always be visible. That’s about it, unless you want to take pictures or videos in which case you will need special lighting equipment. Note that night time photography is not allowed in some places as it could disturb the marine life.

The best way to snorkel at night is to go out on a charter boat with an experienced crew that knows the best snorkeling spots and will be able to ensure your comfort and safety. Hawaii’s Big Island has a large number of these boats. Look for one that has a regular schedule of night time snorkeling trips and the experience to ensure that your adventure is one that you will never forget.

In the next blog we will look at the unique opportunity to experience manta rays at night.

Are You Fit Enough to Snorkel?

A good question! Nevertheless, fear not, for Snorkeling is not as strenuous or as demanding a sport as scuba diving is and even more better you don’t need any special certification to snorkel. Nonetheless, to ensure that you are safe and able to enjoy the excitement that snorkeling offers, there are a few basic abilities that you should have. These are generally referred to as Open Water Swimming Skills. 

If you can accomplish the following tasks, you should be fit enough to snorkel: 

• Can you float for 10 minutes in deep water? Most people float naturally and can easily do this by simply lying on their backs and limit their movements as much as possible. Not everyone can do this and if you have problems, you can try to gently tread water for the same time period. Either option is good enough.
• Can you swim about 200 yards without using any equipment? In other words, can you swim this distance non-stop, wearing just your swimsuit? There is no time limit that you need to adhere to, so you can swim, as fast or slow, as you are comfortable with. Just complete the distance. Alternatively, you should be able to swim about 300 yards wearing a mask, snorkel and fins. This is often easier for those who are not very strong swimmers or who have not developed their stamina by swimming regularly. Again, either option is fine. Any swimming style is acceptable, so do whatever you are comfortable with.

For the Beginner 

• Before snorkeling in choppy waters with small swells, practice snorkeling in a swimming pool
• Get used to using the snorkeling equipment
• Swimming in choppy waters can be a little disorienting and may result in water entering the snorkel. This is not dangerous at all, just a little uncomfortable. So practicing in a pool will help you get used to breathing through it, will help you to clear it out easily and continue
• Take your time getting used to the mask, snorkel and fins. There is no rush and the longer you spend getting used to the equipment, the more comfortable you will feel
• Generally about 20 minutes is enough, but take more time if you feel you need it
• Practicing in the swimming pool, will help you improve your snorkeling proficiency and you won’t have a problem keeping up with more proficient snorkelers

Nothing Is Set In Stone

These are only general guidelines. The safest and most enjoyable way to start snorkeling is to go out on a charter boat with an experienced crew who can take you to the best spots. Equipment may be available for hire and an experienced swimmer will usually accompany you to show you the ropes, ensure that you face no discomfort and will help you with the finer points of open water snorkeling. Hawaii with its temperate, warm waters and sunny climes has the perfect waters where the marine life is incredible, and where you can have the best snorkeling experience, ever.