Today's whale watch was amazingly eventful.  We were barely out of the harbor when a pod of seven bottlenose came over to investigate and people watch.  We call this a mugging and it was delightful!  There was a small calf traveling next to mom, and as fast as they moved the calf had no trouble keeping up.  Bottlenose can move at 20 mph and can hold their breath for about 20 minutes.  In Hawaii they are seen eating all sorts of fish like razor fish, shrimp, flounder, and other bottom dwelling animals.

In these pictures you may notice the little notch out of the dorsal fin of a male.  He also had tooth rakings on his sides, markings usually received during small tussles with other males.  He did not seem quite as curious as the female and calf were, but did circle us a few times and spent time off the bow peering up at the excited people taking their pictures.  While humpback whales individuals are identified by their fluke patterns, bottlenose dolphins are identified by their dorsal fins.

According to researchers there are over 130 bottlenose in Maui County waters, which would cover the channels to Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kahoolawe, and Molokini.  Research has shown this population to be separate from those off O'ahu and Hawaii.