Hele on to Ke Ala Hele Makalae

Look closely and you’ll notice a black dorsal fin about 100 yards off-shore, where a humpback whale mother and her calf were swimming alongside the Kapa‘a multi-use path Monday.

By Léo Azambuja

We are at the peak of whale season, with the bulk of humpback whales having arrived in Hawai‘i to breed or give birth.

About 10,000 Humpback whales — roughly half the North Pacific whale population — migrate every winter to Hawai‘i from the cold waters of Alaska.

Right now, those gentle giants are more visible than ever on the Eastside of Kaua‘i, especially from vantage points such as the Kapa‘a Scenic Point or the portion of the Ke Ala Hele Makalae — the path that goes along the coast — between Kealia and Donkey beaches.

On Monday morning, a mother and her calf were spotted swimming north alongside the multi-use path only about 100 yards off-shore, with a pod of dolphins following closely.

Out in the open ocean, which was unusually glassy on the Eastside, several whales could be seen blowing water through their spouts or flipping their fins.

Lately, it is common to see visitors and locals stop at the Kapa‘a Scenic Point to check out the whales.

The whales will start departing to their feeding grounds in the North Pacific in the beginning of the spring, and by May the last whales will head to Alaska.

So hele on to the Ke Ala Hele Makalae to admire those 80-ton animals before they leave.