The whales, that is. They start showing up in late November, with February and March considered the peak whale watching times. It's nearly impossible to go a day without seeing whales until about mid-April.

Every year, about this time, I receive email from folks who have the erroneous idea that the fish are afraid of the whales. Baloney!!!

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Humpback whales are BALEEN whales. Their throats contain mesh like fibers that strain krill and small fish like herring. They couldn't swallow a game fish. I'm fairly certain that after millions of years of evolution, the fish would know this.

I particularly like March whale watching. The surface activity really mounts as the whales prepare for their return trip north. Whether you're out on a fishing boat, snorkel boat, dinner cruise or just laying on the beach, you're bound to see a lot of whales. Very often one can hear them 'singing' underwater when you're swimming diving or snorkeling.

A word of caution though. Many of Maui's main roads run along the coastline. This means that you often see whales very close as you're driving. Those of us who live on Maui realize that you're very excited, but please, DO NOT SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES, OR JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY! Find a safe pullover spot and use your turn signal. Be careful getting out of your vehicle.

A great site to learn more about humpbacks is presented by the NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program.