Watch: Whale shark spotted off Big Island’s Kona Coast

A nearly 30-foot whale shark was spotted one mile off Kahalu‘u Beach Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Kelsi Ka‘uhane, with touring company Hawaiian Adventures Kona, captured footage of the gentle giant. She said it stayed with their vessel for about 20 minutes before slowly moving away. Sixteen passengers were aboard the boat when they had the encounter.

Ka‘uhane said their company as well as several other touring companies based out of Kona have had different whale shark encounters almost daily this past week.

After Tuesday’s sighting, Ka‘uhane has seen three whale sharks. She described the recent encounter as “one for the books.”

“Such a humbling experience being able to encounter such a rare and elusive animal,” Ka‘uhane said. “A massive yet gentle giant of a shark.”