It was like a scene out of a Hollywood movie -- lost whales searching for a way back out to sea.
Only this was very real.
Several humpback whales perhaps as many as six of them entered Honolulu Harbor shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday and put on quite a show for seven hours.
But this fishing tale started several days ago.
"This is day six, we've had these whale with us following us haven't left the side of the boat," said Willy Winn. He and his crew aboard the Ocean Pearl were 400 miles out to sea heading back to Honolulu when the humpback whales first arrived. "We're going to see if they follow us all the way back to the beach."
And the whales did, all the way back to Honolulu Harbor.
"They followed us all the way down here and this morning about seven this morning they came all the way into the harbor with us and stayed with us until I docked the boat up," said Winn. "Very unique to see them inside here very unique i've never seen them come in shore this far."
Chris Kojima was on Young Brothers' Manu o Ke Kai when the whales surfaced minutes later.
"They were so close to us I could touch them, I mean I got blown mist on all morning by whales," said Kojima.
Kojima captured amazing images as two whales put on a fantastic show.
"On the tugs we see them almost everyday out in whale season but I've never seen anything like that before just so close the bumps, the wiggle of the fat fin it was unreal," said Kojima. "Unfortunately one of them had like a pretty good gash on its back I think maybe from hitting something in the harbor this morning."
Kojima said the whales stayed near their vessel for two hours.
"Didn't seem like they could figure out how to get out."
By then U.S. Coast Guard had received reports of other humpbacks in the harbor.
"There's been reports of up to six animals actually in the harbor the additional four humpback whales were spotted near piers two and three," said Eric Roberts, USCG Marine Mammal Response Coordinator.
Authorities believe those four whales found their way out of the harbor but two others would stick around.
"It can go on for hours it can go on for days, it's really, it's at the discretion of the whales," said Roberts.
The Coast Guard and state DOCARE officers maintained a 100 yard security zone around the animals as harbor traffic continued. The whales moved deep into the harbor and surfaced near the Falls of Clyde and Aloha Tower.
"The response boats that are out there are actually maintaining that perimeter and keeping eyes on the whales so they can notify the tower of where the whales," said Roberts. "And they can pass it on to the vessels that inbound or outbound of the harbor."
The whales moved alongside several tug boats throughout the day and even came within 100 yards of leaving the harbor but suddenly turned back.
"It's a very narrow channel for them to come in here but there's plenty of water in here they can get around," said Winn. "So hopefully they just do the sight-seeing and head back offshore."
It was at that point when they approached the Navatek which was preparing to leave. Twenty minutes later the whales had seen enough and quietly left the harbor trailing the Navatek out to sea, ending a seven hour show.
