Humpback Whale Sighting While Diving with Sharks in Oahu

It was another typically beautiful morning today in Hawaii Kai, 70 degrees with party cloudy skies and variable winds. The surface conditions were also prime for diving since the swell was minimal. This morning on the Enzo, we were joined by several fun divers and divemaster candidates who are currently enrolled in Hawaii SCUBA University. Today’s adventure would start at the Kahala Barge.

KAHALA BARGE
93ft – 33min

With a dead current, divers were able to free descend onto wreck amid 100 ft. visibility. Once at the bottom a few intrepid adventurers penetrated and examined the guts of the old barge. The top of the wreck was host to many budding corals and typical juvenile reef fish. There were also several Crown of Thorns starfish creeping about devouring unlucky coral heads. Upon surfacing and returning to the boat, several mother humpback whales and their calves swam around the boat. They put on quite a show with some breaches, pectoral and tail fin slapping, and air spouts.

FANTASY REEF (drift)
53ft – 40min

With whales fresh in their minds, the divers entered negatively into more 100 ft visibility and a mild Diamond Head current. Although whales weren’t spotted, almost everything else was! A white tip reef shark napping under a coral shelf started this dive on the right foot. Shortly after an octopus was found and a couple of huge turtles and green moray eels kept divers company as they went through an archway swim through. Honorable mentions were a banded shrimp, slipper lobster, and reef crab.

 

A special thanks goes out to the crew of the Enzo. For without, today’s adventure would not be possible. Thank you Captain Kellan, Liz, and Bradree.