Spinner Dolphin

Spinner Dolphin Pictures, Behaviors, Video and Information (provided by the Wild Dolphin Foundation)

The Hawaiian name for dolphin is nai'a, and refers to most all dolphins found here. Hawaiian Spinner dolphins are shaped and colored somewhat differently from other species of spinner dolphins.

With 13 species of toothed dolphins (nai'a) swimming in the tepid waters of Hawaii, the most common are the Hawaiian spinner, spotted (kiko), bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins. Other often seen members of the dolphin family - although termed as whales (kohola)- are pilot and false killer whales.

Dolphins in Hawaii are commonly termed as "porpoise" by local folks, especially fishermen, who use the word "dolphin" when referring to the dolphin fish, or mahi mahi.

So called for their high, spinning leaps, spinner dolphins are known as playful, eager bow-riders throughout much of their range.

In certain areas in Hawaii, spinner dolphins are seen on an almost daily basis. Probably since the islands have formed, the Hawaiian spinner dolphins have come into nearshore daytime habitats along the west coast of Oahu. We have traced their occurrence in our area back at least 800 years.

Below are descriptions of daytime behaviors the acrobatic spinners frequently engage in. Pictures and videos were taken during our dolphin encounter tours.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins Stenella longirostris "Nai'a"
Size: 1.7 to 2.2 m, 75 kg.
Males slightly larger than females
Calves at birth: 77 cm
45 to 65 sharp-pointed teeth on each side of upper and lower jaw
Food: Fish (small deep-ocean species) and squid
Habitat: Mainly offshore
Range: Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate world ocean
Status: Population unknown, but common in most parts of its range. Substantial declines have occurred in the eastern tropical Pacific

To see the enlarged pictures, please click on the desired picture. Double click to open movies.

Spins
Spinner dolphins are famous for their fantastic jumps high out of the water. They can leap into the air and make as many as 7 complete spins before diving back into the ocean! Few dolphins are known to leap as high as the Spinner and except occasionally for the Clymene dolphin, no others spin. Why Do Spinner Dolphins Spin?
Note: Click on the picture to the right to see good spin video >>

Head-Over-Tail
This aerial behavior is probably the most energetic. While the spin is more like a top, this leap is a series of mid-air somersaults.
Note: Click on the picture to the right to see head over video >>

Head Slaps
This very young spinner has already learned a way to get mom's attention. Repeated head slaps send an acoustical message. Notice the pinkish underside, normally white, this could mean excitement or the product of vigorous slapping!

Tail or Peduncle Slaps
Often seen before a change in the pods behavior. Most often, immediately after we see this behavior, the pod will change its traveling direction. Tail slap video and how it looks from underwater. The dolphin is excited about his "play toy!"

Nose-Outs
Often seen before going into a rest mode, or when they seem to have interest in us. These, although still classified as aerial behaviors are the least energy taxing.

Fluke-up Dive
Dives with the tail (flukes)raised in the air seem to signaldeep dives. This a borderline aerial behavior - as it still happens above the water line, but is not very active.

Playing Behavior
Spinners often make "play-toys" of objects intheir environment. In our area, the tradewinds blow lightweight plastic grocery bags into the ocean. The dolphins drape these over their fins and pass them back and forth.
Note: Click on the picture to the right to see dolphins play video >>

Echelon Swimming
Newborn calves can be seen swimming near their mothers head for about a week before they swim nearer to her dorsal fin. This is termed as echelon swimming. Dolphins carry their young inside their womb and gestation is about 12 months for a bottlenose. The baby emerges tail first, and will suckle from its mother for up to 4 years.

Breathing
Oceanic dolphins have evolved a method of breathing without surfacing from the water. They blow a bubble when near the water surface and then quickly draw breath in when the bubble forms a bridge between the blowhole and the air, through the water. Dolphins breathe through theirblowhole located at the top of their head. A dolphin may empty and refill its lungs in less than a fifth of second. As the dolphin breathes the air leaves the blowhole at speeds of over 100mph. To sleep, a dolphin must shut down only half of its brain, as its breathing is under voluntary control.

Social Behavior
Spinner dolphin's pectoral flippers are used to steer them through the water, and they also use them to stroke one another, increasing the social bond between them. Dolphin "friends" may swim along face to face touching flippers. Dolphins that appear to be closely bonded may swim in synchrony, twisting, turning and swimming in perfect harmony together.

Whistles
Spinner Dolphins can be very noisy under and above water, click here to hear for underwater video and sound of spinner dolphins vocalizing and a signature whistle.

Waimea Bay - North Shore - Oahu

Famous big wave surf break with the largest surfable waves on the North Shore. Between 4-10 foot it breaks next to the inside rocks and is considered "pinballs." It starts breaking on the outside boil in the middle of the bay around 10-12 foot, but big wave veterans don't consider Waimea to be "real" until its 18-20 feet, and waves of up to 25-30 foot have been ridden at "The Bay."


There are about 5 different webcams these days in the church above the bay.

View from the mountain above the Valley.

There is a buoy located about a mile outside of the bay, it is used to predict really big waves coming through, or current conditions.

Medium Surf skill set required! Daughter and I surfered these waves three-four different times, peaking 15-20 foot waves on an average day making the ride little complicated for beginners.

Spinner Dolphin

Spinner Dolphin Pictures, Behaviors, Video and Information (provided by the Wild Dolphin Foundation)

The Hawaiian name for dolphin is nai'a, and refers to most all dolphins found here. Hawaiian Spinner dolphins are shaped and colored somewhat differently from other species of spinner dolphins.
With 13 species of toothed dolphins (nai'a) swimming in the tepid waters of Hawaii, the most common are the Hawaiian spinner, spotted (kiko), bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins. Other often seen members of the dolphin family - although termed as whales (kohola)- are pilot and false killer whales.

Dolphins in Hawaii are commonly termed as "porpoise" by local folks, especially fishermen, who use the word "dolphin" when referring to the dolphin fish, or mahi mahi.

So called for their high, spinning leaps, spinner dolphins are known as playful, eager bow-riders throughout much of their range.

In certain areas in Hawaii, spinner dolphins are seen on an almost daily basis. Probably since the islands have formed, the Hawaiian spinner dolphins have come into nearshore daytime habitats along the west coast of Oahu. We have traced their occurrence in our area back at least 800 years.

Below are descriptions of daytime behaviors the acrobatic spinners frequently engage in. Pictures and videos were taken during our dolphin encounter tours.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins Stenella longirostris "Nai'a"Size: 1.7 to 2.2 m, 75 kg. Males slightly larger than females Calves at birth: 77 cm 45 to 65 sharp-pointed teeth on each side of upper and lower jaw Food: Fish (small deep-ocean species) and squid Habitat: Mainly offshore Range: Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate world ocean Status:
Population unknown, but common in most parts of its range. Substantial declines have occurred in the eastern tropical Pacific

To see the enlarged pictures, please click on the desired picture. Double click to open movies.

Spins
Spinner dolphins are famous for their fantastic jumps high out of the water. They can leap into the air and make as many as 7 complete spins before diving back into the ocean! Few dolphins are known to leap as high as the Spinner and except occasionally for the Clymene dolphin, no others spin. Why Do Spinner Dolphins Spin?Note: Click on the picture to the right to see good spin video >>

Head-Over-Tail
This aerial behavior is probably the most energetic. While the spin is more like a top, this leap is a series of mid-air somersaults.Note: Click on the picture to the right to see head over video >>

Head Slaps
This very young spinner has already learned a way to get mom's attention. Repeated head slaps send an acoustical message. Notice the pinkish underside, normally white, this could mean excitement or the product of vigorous slapping!

Tail or Peduncle Slaps
Often seen before a change in the pods behavior. Most often, immediately after we see this behavior, the pod will change its traveling direction. Tail slap video and how it looks from underwater. The dolphin is excited about his "play toy!"

Nose-Outs
Often seen before going into a rest mode, or when they seem to have interest in us. These, although still classified as aerial behaviors are the least energy taxing.

Fluke-up Dive
Dives with the tail (flukes) raised in the air seem to signal deep dives. This a borderline aerial behavior - as it still happens above the water line, but is not very active.

Playing Behavior
Spinners often make "play-toys" of objects in their environment. In our area, the tradewinds blow lightweight plastic grocery bags into the ocean. The dolphins drape these over their fins and pass them back and forth. Note: Click on the picture to the right to see dolphins play video >>

Echelon Swimming
Newborn calves can be seen swimming near their mothers head for about a week before they swim nearer to her dorsal fin. This is termed as echelon swimming. Dolphins carry their young inside their womb and gestation is about 12 months for a bottlenose. The baby emerges tail first, and will suckle from its mother for up to 4 years.

Breathing
Oceanic dolphins have evolved a method of breathing without surfacing from the water. They blow a bubble when near the water surface and then quickly draw breath in when the bubble forms a bridge between the blowhole and the air, through the water. Dolphins breathe through their blowhole located at the top of their head. A dolphin may empty and refill its lungs in less than a fifth of second. As the dolphin breathes the air leaves the blowhole at speeds of over 100mph. To sleep, a dolphin must shut down only half of its brain, as its breathing is under voluntary control.

Social Behavior
Spinner dolphin's pectoral flippers are used to steer them through the water, and they also use them to stroke one another, increasing the social bond between them. Dolphin "friends" may swim along face to face touching flippers. Dolphins that appear to be closely bonded may swim in synchrony, twisting, turning and swimming in perfect harmony together.

Whistles
Spinner Dolphins can be very noisy under and above water, click here to hear for underwater video and sound of spinner dolphins vocalizing and a signature whistle.

More spinner dolphin photos
Hear a dolphin click train

Our wildlife tours focus on education and conservation so that an interactive relationship can be maintained in the best interest of both humans and dolphins. We strive to foster admiration and deep respect for these wonder-ful marine mammals.


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Whales! A Special Winter bonus...

Throughout the winter months (Jan-Apr), the Humpback Whales make the calm waters of the West shore of Oahu their home for mating and calving. You'll be thrilled to witness a variety of surface behaviors, such as spouts, dives, breaches, flipper and tail slappings, and to hear the intricate whale "songs" echoing in the ocean.

Week of 12/26 to 12/30 we seen 19 whales up close.. First time we seen so many pods in a general area. It was amazing and exciting. This is also a great time to swim and see spinner dolpins



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SCUBA DIVING IN HAWAI‘I

SCUBA DIVING IN HAWAI‘I: EXPLORING HAWAII’S UNDERSEA WORLD

Author: AFH

Scuba diving in Hawaii's choicest locations is an unrivaled experience. Bathed in the tepid crystalline depths of the azure Pacific, tethered by bubbles and brushed by rainbow colored fish, scuba divers enter a fantasy world of brilliance and wonder. Each of Hawai'i's eight main islands have outstanding dive spots with an array of unique marine animals, colorful corals and bizarre lava formations. Most diving occurs on the calmer, leeward coasts of all the islands, where visibility often exceeds 100 feet. Dive shops abound with gear rentals, dive trips, lessons and certification.

Five types of underwater habitats—coral reefs, lava tubes, caves and caverns, sandy bottoms, drop-offs and basalt boulders—create Hawaii's underwater terrain.Boat diving is one of the easiest ways to experience Hawai'i's underwater wilderness. Diving from the shoreline is dictated by ocean conditions, and is not recommended in high surf. Kaua'i and Ni'ihau: Kaua'i boasts 10 prime dive spots located on both the north and south shores of the island. From the Ha'ena area of the north shore, in summer months when the ocean is calm, Ke'e Lagoon, Tunnels Reef and Cannons offer shore diving in depths ranging from 12 to 65 feet.

South shore spots on Kaua'i offer intermediate to advanced boat dives including Sheraton Caverns, Brennecke's Drop-off and Oasis reef. A special attraction for advanced divers is the challenge of diving Ni'ihau, where monk seals, schools of dolphins and clouds of seabirds swarm above and below the crystalline sea. Hawai'i (The Big Island): Dive spots on the Big Island occur only along the leeward, Kona and Kohala coastlines. Cavern Point, Place of Refuge, Kailua Pier, Pine Trees and Red Hill are some of the favorites. Kona and Kohala coast dive spots range from novice to advanced with depth ranges of 10 to 130 feet. Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i and Molokini Crater:

These islands are teeming with excellent dive sites. From the island of Maui, most dive spots are located on the western shore, and include Honolua Bay, Olowalu and Five Caves. A short boat ride to Molokini Crater, meanwhile, reveals four additional dive sites that occur along the rim of this ancient, sunken volcano. Highlights include black corals and schools of tame fish in depths of 10 to 130 feet. Lana'i has six popular dive sites on its south coast. All Lana'i dives are by boat. Moloka'i dives center around Mokuho'oniki Rock at the east end of the island.

Oahu: Waimea Bay, the Wai'anae coastline and Maunalua Bay offer popular dive attractions on O‘ahu. Hanauma Bay offers one of the island’s most breathtaking panoramas along with advanced, intermediate and novice dive sites accessible from shore.

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Scuba Hawaii Hawaii Travel Caribbean Scuba Scuba Certification Scuba Jay Costa Maya Suba Dive Gear Hawaii Reef Divers Scuba Diving Cave Diving Naui SSI TDI SDI Water Rescue Diving Water Rescues PADI Technical Scuba Diving Dive Rescue Jason Kilgore What is Scuba Diving Scuba Dive Answers Jason Kilgore and Martial Arts Jason Kilgore and USANA Jason Kilgore and Karate Jason Kilgore and Scuba Diving Sacramento auburn California Hawaii Jason Kilgore and Sierra Foothills Karate Sierra Foothills Karate and Scuba Diving Jason Kilgore and Scuba Diving
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Hawaiian Coast

The Hawaiian Coast features many diverse dive environments including lava tubes, caves, and arches. It is often worthwhile to go into caverns and lava tubes to see if there are any interesting critters hiding there. We can find sleeping sharks, nudibranchs, and other noctural animals there.

Come join us for a wonderful experience.

At Hawaii Reef Divers, the crew takes all the work out of diving. We set up your gear while you are checking in on the dock. When it's time to dive we make entering the water extremely simple and safe. A crewmember will carry your gear to the stern while you wait, seated, on one of two metal benches. All that's left is for you to strap on your tank and stride into the clear, calm waters. After your first dive enjoy fresh island fruit and a cool drink while the crew switches your gear over to a fresh tank. After your second dive your gear is rinsed for you as we motor back to the harbor. Our dives are guided by knowledgeable instructors who brief you on what to expect to see before you enter the water. Encounters with dolphin, turtles, and manta rays are common in the placid Hawaiian waters and other visitors make special appearances to assure that every dive can turn into something extraordinary and interesting to say.