Short Fin Pilot Whales in Maui County Waters
What wonders you might see if you travel where most others do not. I have always heard about pilot whales, melon headed whales, false killer whales, and even sperm whales living in the deep offshore waters of Maui. I decided that it was something I would have to see for myself. It took a long time but I've finally found myself in a place to head out to these offshore waters about 30 miles off Maui over depths of 10,000 feet at times and it has paid off big time. The past two times I have ventured out into these waters I've come across pods of short-fin pilot whales. They only seem to live in deep waters. On the Big Island I have seen them just 2 miles offshore but still in 2,000+ ft of water. Here in Maui the surrounding islands/volcanoes are so close that they touch underwater forming a shallow plateau. Cetaceans like spinner dolphins and humpback whales love this shallow water while others like these pilot whales shun them for the deep. Thus they are hardly seen and even ...