Wildlife· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins (50-yard rule)
19° 28.6′ N · 155° 55.6′ W · approximate
Pods of Hawaiian spinner dolphins come into the sandy South Kona bays (Kealakekua, Honaunau, Ho'okena, Okoe) to rest by day after feeding offshore at night, and often wake anchored cruisers with their leaps. Federal law now keeps people and boats 50 yards away.
Practical
Coordinate is a representative point in Kealakekua Bay (Wikipedia's bay coordinate). NOAA Fisheries regulations prohibit swimming with, approaching, or remaining within 50 yards of spinner dolphins within 2 nautical miles of the main Hawaiian Islands. If dolphins approach your boat, keep a steady course or idle; do not chase pods or enter the water with them. Noodle's Notes says a school of spinners calls Okoe Bay home and you will likely wake to them around the boat; a local reviewer reports them coming into Ho'okena to rest in the morning, and a visitor reports pods off Napo'opo'o before 9am.
Best for
Watching resting dolphin pods from a respectful distance
Season
Year round; mornings in the resting bays
Nearby
- Kealakekua Bay Anchorage0.2 NM away
- Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park0.4 NM away
- Napo'opo'o Beach Park and Hikiau Heiau0.4 NM away
- Captain Cook Monument (Ka'awaloa)0.5 NM away
- Ka'awaloa (Captain Cook Monument) Trail0.7 NM away
- Kona Coffee Living History Farm1.2 NM away
- Manago Hotel Restaurant (Captain Cook)1.2 NM away
- South Kona Green Market (Captain Cook)1.2 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).