Join Captain "Bob" Sundown, Kauai’s most experienced Sailing Captain! Trust Capt. Sundown to sail you in the company of Whales. During your 4 hour sailing boat tour on Kauai, dolphins and whales will greet you in a variety of ways.

Read on to learn more about whale behavior:

Flukes: One of the more popular events during your whale watch is observing a whale stretch its long back out onto the ocean surface until his tail or flukes stick straight up in the air. Seasoned whale watchers know, spotting the Whale’s tail or flukes is an indication a whale is preparing to dive. The Pacific Humpback Whale does not spend a great deal of time beneath the water as it is not searching for food, rather it is likely a movement that allows the whale to maneuver away from boats and other sea creatures. Spotting flukes is also sign to the Captain it is time to move on in search of other members of the whale pod as that particular whale may not resurface again for another 5-10 minutes and it will likely resurface a great distance from the last sighting.

Spy-Hopping: A behavior where the whale sticks his entire head and neck above water perpendicular with the oceans surface. Looking into the eye of a giant Pacific Humpback Whale is one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have during a Capt. Sundown Whale Watch tour.

Pectoral Slap: A behavior meant to be seen and heard, the giant Pacific Humpback Whale will rotate onto its’ side and slap the ocean surface with a loud thunderous “clap”. In our experience this behavior is observed just before spotting Mother Humpback Whales with their Calves.

Footprint: A phrase coined by Captain Sundown denoting an uncommon smooth surface area of ocean where whales have either just surfaced, are preparing to re-surface, or are just below the surface out of sight. Pausing to watch for Spouting, (the act of a whale exhaling the salt water from it’s body) , it a sure fire way to get a great photo op with the whale.

Singing Whales: The Pacific Humpback Whales have been given the gift of song. While not the only whale species to produce sounds, ( Sperm whales “click” for example ) , the Humpbacks have been noted to arrive in the Islands all singing the same sequence of sounds. When the whales are preparing to leave, subtle changes are noted to occur in their song, and scientists believe this is their way to tell the pod it is time to depart our Island waters.

Spouting: Sailing with Captain Sundown, is the most ecologic way to be in the company of whales. By slipping thru the ocean noiselessly Captain Sundown can ensure unique whale encounters. Being naturally curious creatures, whales will often swim along side our vessel barely acknowledging us. Captain Sundown will skillfully maneuver the sailing catamaran in the company of whales ever mindful not to block these sea creatures from the shore or from one another.

For detailed tour information including pricing, time schedules, reservations and more, please visit our official website at captainsundown.com. For any questions, please email us or call (808) 826-5585.