Humpback Whale Gets Up Close, Rare Whale Watching Encounter off West Oʻahu

Описание: Filmed on an ethical, small-group whale watching tour off the coast of West Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.

In one of the most extraordinary whale watching moments we've experienced on the leeward coast of Oʻahu, a lone humpback whale approached our vessel and stayed within arm’s reach—for nearly 20 minutes. With our engine in neutral and all eyes wide, we sat silently as this curious giant slowly circled and hovered beside us,.

Captured on a quiet winter morning just off Ko Olina, this moment reveals the intelligence, awareness, and sometimes surprising social curiosity of North Pacific humpback whales. Listen closely and you’ll even hear faint vocalizations—low, otherworldly moans picked up from below the hull.

These humpbacks travel over 3,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaiʻi each winter to breed, calve, and rest in the shallow waters along West Oʻahu. Encounters like this are always on the whale’s terms—never pursued, never lured. This curious (lonely?) one chose to approach and stay.

🧭 Tour Info
This video was filmed during a small-group, conservation-based whale watching tour led by marine biologists. We follow all NOAA guidelines for marine mammal protection and always let the wildlife set the pace.

🎯 Keywords:
humpback whale Hawaii, West Oahu whale watching, Ko Olina whale tour, humpback whale vocalizations, Hawaii whale safari, ethical whale watching, up close with humpback whale, mobbed by whale, whale sounds underwater, humpback approach boat

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