MOLOKINI CRATER (HawaiiNewsNow) – A lucky group of whale watchers off Maui got “mugged” by a pair of humpback whales last week.
Mugging is when a whale comes close enough to a vessel that the captain has to stop the engine and wait for the animal to swim a safe distance away.
A pair of humpback whales came right up to a “Pride of Maui” vessel and stayed for about 45 minutes, on Jan. 28.
A whale watch and snorkel tour was heading to Molokini Crater when two curious whales approached the boat.
“It’s a special thing just to share the ocean with these whales to begin with,” said Pride of Maui Video Program Director Russell Hanson. “And then to not only have dolphins and whales, but for them to be so curious and come up and hang out with us, it’s going to be something I’m not going to forget anytime soon.”
The crew followed the law by turning off its engine and staying in place until the animals were a safe distance away.
“We are very stringent about following the rules of not approaching the whales, making sure we’re not getting within 100 yards of them,” Hanson said. “And so, for the opportunity for them to actually come to us, is really something special.”
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