Mike in the Wild

I had never been to Hawaii during the winter until my trip to the Big Island last month.  Of course the Aloha State lies in the tropics so exactly when you visit doesn't matter too much; there's always a pleasant day at the beach guaranteed somewhere on one of the islands.  However since humpback whales only choose the winter season to make their three thousand mile voyage there, you might want to book a February trip if these cetaceans are your must-see. Humpback whales range all over the world and feed mostly during the summer closer to the poles.  They birth their young and mate in tropical and semitropical waters like those near Hawaii.  This specific North Pacific population travels from Alaska and may number as many as ten thousand in any given season.  Maui claims to be the best island for seeing them, where almost any pull-off along the coastline-hugging highway between Maalaea and Lahaina guarantees a sighting.  I was destined not to be disappointe...