Enlargement No.411 Humpback and Calf Humpbacks are the whales most frequently seen off the shores of Kauai and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands as they migrate here every winter from Alaskan waters. During the whale season I often kayak out to be with the whales. It is an extraordinary sensation to hear their blows, to see their immense shapes move through the ocean, to even hear the sound of their songs through the hull of the kayak. Of course, there are often calves swimming close within the protection of their mothers. The scene is off the Na Pali coast.
Humpbacks sometimes cruise along the coast and can be seen breaching.
It is also sometimes referred to as the Hoary Head Range. This southeastern section of the island seems particularly popular with whales, and I have often seen them there from shore and from my kayak. Some whale watching cruises out of Nawiliwili also go to this area.