Humpback Whale

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

Possible. About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

March. In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Humpback Whale?

Between 11 am and 2 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Humpback Whale sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Humpback Whale?

9th of 36. Of the 36 parks where we can rate Humpback Whale sightings, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge ranks 9th at about 30%. The best odds are in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands (Antarctica, about 90%), Kenai Fjords National Park (United States, about 80%) and Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Humpback Whale sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Humpback Whale is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Megaptera novaeangliae

Silhouette: Chris huh · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassMammalia (Mammals)
OrderCetacea
FamilyBalaenopteridae (Rorquals)
GenusMegaptera (Humpback Whales)
SpeciesMegaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale)

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

23 Verified sightings at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026

3,003 In all 36 parks

March Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Animal challenge Ocean Giants WorldwideHard

Animal challenge Pacific Coast North AmericaHard

About the Humpback Whale

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus Megaptera. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons (44 short tons). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and tubercles on its head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song that typically lasts from 4 to 33 minutes.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate between feeding areas towards the poles and breeding areas near the equator. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish, and they usually use bubbles to catch prey. They are polygynandrous breeders, with both sexes having multiple partners. Males will follow females and fight off rivals. Mothers give birth to calves in shallower water. Orcas are the main natural predators of humpback whales. The bodies of humpbacks host barnacles and whale lice.

Like other large whales, the humpback was a target for the whaling industry. Humans once hunted the species to the brink of extinction: its population fell to around 5,000 by the 1960s. Numbers have partially recovered to some 135,000 animals worldwide, but entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to affect the species.

Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:23

United States · 2022

Recording0:05

Ecuador · 2026

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Known range (Mammal Diversity Database, Marsh et al. 2022)Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 1 zoo or centre

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands	🇦🇶 Antarctica	~90%
2	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~80%
3	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~50%
4	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~40%
5	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
6	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
7	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	🇬🇸 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	~40%
8	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
9	Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
10	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
11	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
12	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
13	Pico Island Natural Park (Azores)	🇵🇹 Portugal	~30%
14	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
15	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
16	Svalbard	🇳🇴 Norway	~30%
17	Noosa National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
18	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
19	Maria Island National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~20%
20	Phillip Island Nature Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~20%
21	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
22	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
23	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
24	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~20%
25	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
26	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
27	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
28	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
30	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
31	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
32	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
33	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
34	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~10%
35	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
36	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Sydney	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
2	San Francisco	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
3	Montreal	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
4	Cape Town	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
5	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Sea World	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

No species of the same family or order lives in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.

Endemic

Neomonachus schauinslandi

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

March

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Humpback Whale?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Humpback Whale sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge the best place to see a Humpback Whale?

9th of 36

Of the 36 parks where we can rate Humpback Whale sightings, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge ranks 9th at about 30%. The best odds are in Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands (Antarctica, about 90%), Kenai Fjords National Park (United States, about 80%) and Great Bear Rainforest (Canada, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Humpback Whale sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Humpback Whale is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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