Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii (Offshore Waters)
Hawaiian pelagic birdwatching remains a largely unexplored frontier, yet the productive waters just offshore from Kailua-Kona are within easy reach of any traveler, even those on a tight budget. The distance from the shore to deep ocean is minimal, and over twenty species of tubenoses are known to occur regularly: including at least five Pterodroma petrels and six shearwaters. This is among the most accessible areas that are consistent for several species, including “Hawaiian Storm-Petrel” and Black-winged, White-necked, Juan Fernández, and Bulwer’s Petrels. Other seabirds seen regularly include two species of tropicbird, three boobies, and South Polar Skua.
Orientation
Directions
Kailua-Kona is the principal settlement on the western coast of the Big Island. Offshore boat trips depart from the Honokohau Marina, which is between Kona International Airport and Kailua-Kona. The marina’s access road is along Highway 19 about 4.5 miles south of the airport, or 2.5 miles north of Kailua-Kona.
Birdfinding
Along the coast from Keahole Point to Kailua-Kona, the seabed slopes steeply to abyssal depths very close to shore, reaching several hundred meters depth between one and two miles off the beach. Pelagic birdwatching is therefore possible in almost any seaworthy craft—even a hand-paddled kayak.
Some members of the local birdwatching community have organized group trips on chartered boats from time to time (about two or three per year in the 2010s and ‘20s) to go many miles offshore. Participation in such trips is the best option, if possible, but solo excursions and fishing charters are also likely to yield interesting sightings.
Bulwer’s Petrel is common in the offshore waters of Kailua-Kona. © Jeroen Vanheuverswyn
The offshore waters of the Kona Coast are largely unknown and could produce novel sightings at any time. Many of the seabirds of interest to North American birdwatchers are austral breeders, mostly absent from November to February—so most Kona pelagic trips are scheduled between March and October.
Both diversity and numbers presumably peak during the transitional seasons when many populations migrate between the hemispheres, roughly March-April and September-October. Many of the locally breeding seabirds also arrive around March and depart around October.
The following species are annual, or at least fairly regular, in Kona’s offshore waters:
Yellow-billed Tropicbird: fairly common year-round
Red-tailed Tropicbird: uncommon March-April
“Hawaiian Storm-Petrel”: fairly common March-October
Leach’s Storm-Petrel: fairly common March-April
Black-winged Petrel: fairly common September-October
Mottled Petrel: uncommon March-April and October
Juan Fernández Petrel: fairly common April and September-November
White-necked Petrel: uncommon March-October
Hawaiian Petrel: fairly common April-November
Bulwer’s Petrel: common April-October
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: very common March-November
Buller’s Shearwater: uncommon March-April and September-October
Sooty Shearwater: common March-April and September-October
Short-tailed Shearwater: rare October-December
Christmas Shearwater: fairly common June-July
Newell’s Shearwater: uncommon April-September
Great Frigatebird: fairly common March-September
Red-footed Booby: fairly common year-round
Brown Booby: fairly common year-round
Masked Booby: uncommon March-October
Red Phalarope: uncommon March-April
Pomarine Jaeger: uncommon April and October
South Polar Skua: uncommon August-October
Brown Noddy: uncommon year-round
“Hawaiian Noddy”: uncommon year-round
Common Fairy-Tern: fairly common April and October
Sooty Tern: fairly common April-November
Arctic Tern: uncommon in April
The following have been seen infrequently in Kona’s offshore waters, but probably occur regularly:
Parasitic Jaeger
Species that have been recorded at least once, but might not occur regularly, include:
Tahiti Petrel: November 14, 2014
Jouanin’s Petrel: August 25, 1999; August 20, 2010
Services
Accommodations
Kailua-Kona has a wide array of lodgings.
Notes
When to Visit
Local birdwatchers usually organize a few offshore trips each year, so it may be possible to plan a visit accordingly. The peak months for such outings are April and October, followed by March and September, followed by June, August, and November, but they might occur at any time of year.