Entering the Open Ceiling Cave on Na Pali Coast, Kauai

A Dolphin on Na Pali Coast, Kauai

Visit Na Pali Riders Raft Tours in Kauai.

April is here and the weather has started to shift to some amazing summer conditions. Last week we went to Niihau which was a great day of sun, whale watching, and fishing (caught 3 nice fish). The sea caves on Na Pali Coast will start to become very accessible as the surf now starts to drop on the north side of Kauai. If you are planning a trip to Kauai, please take a look at some of our photos we’ve posted at the Na Pali Coast Gallery. It’s a glimpse of what we do, who we are. Also, visit our Facebook page for our latest photos and video clips.

“The goal of Humpback Whale Awareness Month is to enhance public awareness of Hawai‘i’s official state marine mammal and increase public involvement in ocean stewardship. ”

“Hawai‘i is a special place for humpback whales,” said Naomi McIntosh, Sanctuary Superintendent. “Because Hawai‘i is the only state in the United States where humpbacks mate, calve and nurse, it is essential that they are protected here. Humpback Whale Awareness Month provides opportunities for the public to find out more about the sanctuary and humpback whales, and learn how anyone in Hawai‘i can play a role in protecting humpback whales and Hawai‘i’s other ocean resources.”

Na Pali Riders Raft Tours is located in Kauai. The Humpback whales are here in record numbers this season. We invite you to join a whale watching tour if you are going to be visiting between December – May. Please visit our website at http://www.napaliriders.com

“This is great news and points to a gradual economic recovery,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “We will continue to proactively look for ways to support putting our people back to work in the visitor industry as well as other sectors on Kaua’i.”

The annual report by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority included the following Kaua’i highlights:

· Total arrivals surpassed one million – 1,015, 264 – which represents a 6.3 percent increase.
· Total expenditures jumped 18.9 percent.
· Amount spent per person per day saw a double-digit gain of 10.9 percent.
· Average length of stay went up .9 percent.

“I think we’re seeing the positive results of all the marketing campaigns that were launched by the Kaua’i Visitor’s Bureau in collaboration with the county over the last couple of years,” said George Costa, director of the Office of Economic Development. “We knew that if we started something, it would benefit us in the long run.”

He said that the big push began in 2010 with $1 million tourism stimulus package, which targeted the West Coast, Canada as well as kama‘āina.

Last year, the county spent $200,000 on several programs including: American Girl “Kanani” promotion; Kama‘āina campaign, which highlighted the Royal Coconut Coast resorts; Pirates of the Caribbean sweepstakes; Canada blitz; the Kaua’i Made and Kaua’i Marathon programs; as well as film promotions and press trips.

“The production of four movies also helped Kaua’i’s economy while they were filmed here – Soul Surfer, Just Go With It, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Descendents,” said Costa. “And as these films continue to get recognition, I think we’ll reap the benefits in the years to come.”

While KVB and the county have been instrumental in fuelling Kaua’i’s main economic engine, officials are aware of the potential impacts to the island, and recently implemented administrative rules governing county parks to ensure that the county’s recreational facilities are well-managed and protected for all to enjoy.
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Visit Na Pali Riders Raft Tours in Kauai

MEDIA RELEASE (Hawaii 24/7, 20 Jan. 2012)

The non-profit Hawai’i Marine Mammal Consortium (HMMC) is pleased to announce the release of a glossy, full-color art poster of humpback whale tail fluke photographs. The poster illustrates the beauty of humpback whale flukes and how scientists use them to study whales. Like human fingerprints, the shape, color, and markings on the tail flukes of humpback whales are unique to each whale. The poster shows 56 photographs of 53 different whales with a built-in “fluke matching” quiz to identify three whales that appear twice in the photos. The answers can be found at the HMMC website: www.hmmc.org

Sightings of individually identified whales over the years help scientists to describe their social behavior, migrations, and life histories. The website shows information about the sighting history of each whale and links to pages about whale biology and behavior. All photographs were taken under a NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research Permit.

Copies of the poster are available at select locations on Hawai’i Island, including Hawai’i Ocean Sports and The Gallery at Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. It is also available by mail through the HMMC website. The purchase of the poster is tax deductible, and proceeds will directly support HMMC’s whale and dolphin research in Hawai’i.

The HMMC is a Waimea-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 by four biologists who first met while conducting whale research for the University of Hawai’i on the Big Island in the early 1990′s. Local residents may have noticed this group at their hillside whale observation site off Akoni Pule Highway just north of Kawaihae and from their vessel-based work each winter out of Kawaihae Harbor. The HMMC also assists with whale disentanglement efforts led by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The group focuses on marine mammal conservation, research and education and has a science advisory group from top universities around the U.S. and abroad. The HMMC hosts education programs for classes of high school and college students from Hawai’i and the mainland, including an annual week-long class on whale bioacoustics for Cornell University students and a collaboration with faculty at the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka and the University of Hawai’i Hilo to connect students from Hawai’i and Alaska. For more information about HMMC scientists, research, education programs and scientific papers, visit www.hmmc.org or email info@hmmc.org

Will you be in the Islands during peak whale season? If so, consider taking part in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s Ocean Count.

Both Hawaii residents and visitors are invited to take part in the whale-watching volunteer project slated for 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on three Saturdays, Jan. 28, Feb. 25 and March 31 on the shores of Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.

The annual count, which started in 2002, relies on volunteer help to estimate whale population and distribution figures in the sanctuary. The census, organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, doesn’t yield scientifically accurate results, but it does supplement scientific information. For registration details, click here.

Click Here to Count Humpback Whales in Kauai

Call Na Pali Riders Raft Tours 808-742-6331

A video we put together on the best video clips of the Humpback whales. And this is last season! Folks, the whales are even more playful this year if you can believe it! Watch the video below and feel the excitement in everyone’ voices!

Book a tour by calling 808-742-6331, or book online now.

From Dec – May, the Humpback whales visit Kauai to mate and give birth to their young. Record numbers of whales are in Kauai this year, making it easy to have an absolutely amazing whale watching tour on any given day. Check out this whale waving its tail in the air, and actually slapping it down on the surface of the ocean. This is a common whale behavior seen in the Humpbacks.

Na Pali Riders has developed a whale watching guide to help viewers identify the many whale behaviors that will be witnessed during a whale watching tour on the raft.

Call 808-742-6331 to book or tour, or reserve online.

The first whales were spotted today! In the distance we saw whale tails and puffs of water from blowholes.

Here’s some gorgeous photos of the dolphins and fish we saw today. Aloha!

Kauai dolphins swimming with the raft

Snorkeling Kauai's waters with tropical fish