Pygmy Killer Whales off Big Island
Pygmy Killer Whale Encounter Written By Jessika Pacinich Photos by Dai Mar Tamarack We were on the hunt. All eyes fixed on the rolling swell, everyone’s attention bent to a singular end: to find the pod of short finned pilot whales rumored to be hanging out in our location in the deep water off the Big Island of Hawaii. Short finned pilot whales are a rare sight and it’s a special moment when we spot them. A radio call comes through, “Dai Mar, something’s out there.” The Safari Explorer slows and turns. We all rush out on deck. “What is it? What is it?” Guests and crew peer into the water but we’re dumbfounded. Ahead of the ship, basking in the sun bob roughly 15 cetaceans. I have no idea what they are. I’ve never seen anything that looks like these animals. Highly curved dorsal fins slice through the waves and a blunt head glistens in the sunlight as they surface to breathe. We all stare at them in wonder. Then an individual lifts its head out of the water to...