Skip to content

Whale Watching In Hawaii With Humpback Whales Off Maui

By: William Wright

For a truly exciting and once in a lifetime experience the island of Maui is the place to head to see the great humpback whales, around one thousand of which travel four thousand miles from Alaska to the archipelago to mate and give birth between the months of November and March. If its whale watching you want then Hawaii is the place to be, if you want to see the Hawaiian humpback whale in its winter home to which it returns to give birth. The months between December and April are all grand months to see this wonderful, creature so there are plenty of whale watching Hawaii opportunities.

These giant creatures can be seen off the shore of Maui and there are more than a few good vantage points such as McGregor Point, which overlooks Maalaea Bay on the west coast of Maui or the Outrigger Wailea Resort where you can stop and observe the whales and on occasion also spot spinner dolphins. The significant factor is you need a wide ocean view, to boost your chances of spotting whales, and if you visit from around January, you might see their young. For a closer view for whale watching, Hawaii visitors should head out on a whale-watching cruise from Lahaina and Ma’alaea, which practically guarantee sightings in January and February.

As it takes patience for whale-watching Hawaii luckily has plenty of stunning ocean views to keep you fascinated. Lahaina is itself worth exploring for its historic past as the center for the Pacific whaling trade with many noteworthy buildings to visit including the Old Prison, the Seaman’s Hospital and the Pioneer Inn.

Maui is a beautiful island to visit with eye-catching landscapes, beautiful beaches, great restaurants and a immense range of activities including some of the best whale watching Hawaii has to offer. Beach lovers will be astounded by the wonderful beaches at Wailea and Makena whilst Ka’anapali is the largest resort area on Maui and has large sweeping beaches. The view on the long drive along the Hana Coast is wonderful and is hailed one of the world’s most impressive drives. For unbelievable food Maui’s award-winning establishments offer a winning meal or for a more tranquil atmosphere there are informal seaside fish houses to visit.

Haleakala National Park on Maui offers an splendid view from the top of Mount Haleakala to the look out point at the Haleakala crater to look down at the vast twenty five-square-mile crater floor and it is well worth taking a break from all the opportunities for whale watching Hawaii offers, to add another once in a lifetime experience to your trip. There are some superb snorkelling spots to be discovered including Molokini, a sunken volcanic crater rim and marine reserve off Maui. Another great spot is Turtle Town just off Wailea where there are green turtles to swim among.

To spot a whale, look out for water spray that rises ten to twenty feet into the air. The creature only needs to breathe every seven to twenty minutes so you may have to watch for a while. Once you see the water spray being exhaled from the whale’s blowhole, zoom your binoculars on the spot and wait. Soon, the whale will swim up to breathe.

About the Author

The thrill of seeing whales in abundance makes a visit to Maui well worthwhile. Thomas Cook offers a fourteen night stay with flights staying at the Sheraton Maui from £2,499 per person, from 1st- 30th June 2010. Visit http://www.tcsignature.com for more information.

(ArticlesBase SC #1881171)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Whale Watching In Hawaii With Humpback Whales Off Maui

Posted in Travel.

By ToadRun
February 20, 2010

No comments

Binoculars Terminology – Best Binoculars For Birding

By: Support – Chris

Fulfilling your bird watching and wild bird identification efforts will be realized by understanding basic binoculars’ terminology.

Binoculars Terminology

Power/Magnification and Objective Lens Diameter (example 8×42)

The first number, the Power or Magnification measurement, is the degree that the object being viewed is enlarged. In this example, binoculars with an 8 power magnification will magnify the object 8 times larger than would normally be seen with your eyes. The second number, the Objective Lens Diameter, is measured in millimeters (mm). The objective lenses are the front lenses of the binoculars. The diameter of the lens determines the light gathering ability. A larger lens produces greater light gathering ability and therefore improved detail and image clarity. The power level affects the brightness of an image. A lower power will produce a brighter image.

Field of View

The size of the area visible while looking through a pair of binoculars is referred to as the Field of View. Generally a greater magnification or power will produce a smaller field of view. The angular field of view, expressed in degrees, is indicated on the outside of the binoculars. The linear field of view refers to the area that can be viewed at 1,000 yards, and is expressed in feet. A larger field of view translates to a larger area seen through the binoculars. Depending on your bird watching needs, a significantly larger linear field of view may not be important. Please remember, in most cases, the larger the field of view, the poorer the image clarity becomes, especially around the edges. Bear this in mind when making your choice. Bigger does not always mean better.

Close Focus

Close focus refers to the distance between you and the nearest object on which you can focus while still maintaining a good image and sharp focus. This term is normally applied only to center focus models which may need to focus both near and farther distances. Close Focus distance is a critical issue with bird watchers and observers of close subjects that tend to move around at varying distances quickly.

Exit Pupil

The diameter that of the beam of light, measured in millimeters (mm), leaves the eyepiece of a pair of binoculars is the Exit Pupil. The larger the exit pupil, the brighter the image obtained will be. Having a large exit pupil is advantageous under low light conditions and at night such as astronomical, marine or low light conditions.

Relative Brightness

Gathering and transmitting enough of the available light to provide a sufficiently bright and sharp image define the brightness of a pair of binoculars. Brightness is certainly one factor to consider when determining the best pair of binoculars for you, but is not usually the most important. After all, most of your bird watching likely will be during well lit conditions when birds are active.

Eye Relief

Eye Relief is the distance, measured in millimeters (mm), that binoculars can be held from the eye and the full field of view can still be observed comfortably. Those who wear eyeglass in particular benefit from longer eye relief. Normally a minimum rating of 15mm will be needed for those wearing eyeglasses.

Best Binoculars for Birding

While the ultimate choice is one of personal preference, generally full size binoculars ranging anywhere from 7×30 to 8.5×50 are preferred and considered the most popular range in magnification and objective lens size for bird watching. For instance, binoculars with an 8×42 configuration feature a 42mm objective lens size which provides ample light gathering capabilities in even lower light conditions and an 8x magnification allows you to steady the binoculars much more readily than with significantly higher powers, making the task of bird identification easier. Some birders with steady hands may prefer 10 power binoculars or greater.

Please remember that as you increase the power of your binoculars, less light will be gathered and therefore the viewing field will be reduced as well. It is also very difficult to keep an image steady at very high magnifications using standard hand held binoculars. A tripod is often necessary to steady an image at higher magnifications. A good alternative though for those seeking the option of high power magnification is a pair of binoculars with a zoom feature. This gives you the option of higher magnifications without the limitations of fixed, high power binoculars that can be a bit unwieldy.

Support Staff – the Outdoor Nature Resource.com

Optics from theOutdoor Nature Resource.com

About the Author

(ArticlesBase SC #1850357)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Binoculars Terminology – Best Binoculars For Birding

Posted in Hobbies.

By ToadRun
February 20, 2010

No comments