Anyone have any good or bad experiences?

[LeadTurn_SD]

Cayamaniac: Regarding the whale, it sounds like the captian probably did the right thing, even though I understand it was a bummer and it would have been very nice to get "closer" for a better photo op.

I'm a boat owner on the Big Island, and can tell you it's the whale you don't see that is often the one you need to really worry about and watch for here in Hawaii. I cannot tell you how many times during whale season I've been in a similar situation (a solitary whale is seen several hundred yards away) when another whale or two breaks surface much closer! Two years ago we had been on the water for about an hour and had not seen any whales, when suddenly one came up from down deep and breached about 50 yards off our port side... close enough to feel the concussion in my chest as it hit the water and just far enough to not be hit by the spray!

 

[caymaniac]

Cayamaniac: Regarding the whale, it sounds like the captian probably did the right thing, even though I understand it was a bummer and it would have been very nice to get "closer" for a better photo op.

I'm a boat owner on the Big Island, and can tell you it's the whale you don't see that is often the one you need to really worry about and watch for here in Hawaii. I cannot tell you how many times during whale season I've been in a similar situation (a solitary whale is seen several hundred yards away) when another whale or two breaks surface much closer! Two years ago we had been on the water for about an hour and had not seen any whales, when suddenly one came up from down deep and breached about 50 yards off our port side... close enough to feel the concussion in my chest as it hit the water and just far enough to not be hit by the spray!

You have a good answer. I suppose what you say is very legitimate as I have absolutely no experience with whale watching, we don't have any here in the Great Lakes. I thought it would be great to be a bit closer and so we could get a good look instead of a look from so far away.
To have a whale come that close to you and breach would be an incredible experience, a bit scary and then a "holy cow" when you feel the concusion.
I have had Minke whales come within 20 ft. of me and just stare at me with their eye, giving me the up and down while we were snorkeling on the surface. I was thinking the boat could get allot closer, but I have not had the experience you've had and so you make a good point.
I took this at Molokini with a 300mm lens:

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Nice picture!

Yeah, I've never had a whale before or since breach as close as that one time I described. It caught us totally by surprise because it was late in the season, and did not think any whales were around. All of a sudden a big dark shape out of the corner of my eye and a huge boom!

Paddling our OC-1 canoes (one-man racing outrigger canoes) we will occasionally have whales come up quite close to us, sometimes wihin 20 yards or so, but most often we see them further away. A few years ago, and again this year a mother whale and her calf came all the way into Hilo Bay, and it was really fun to watch the baby whale play.

Safe Diving!