A Hawaiian helicopter pilot spotted what looked like a whale from above but it turned out to be an incredibly rare US submarine sighting
Published on Apr 08, 2026 at 3:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 08, 2026 at 8:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This helicopter pilot in Hawaii somehow spotted a US submarine in the middle of the ocean.
The odds of a civilian spotting a submarine are next to none.
So this guy can count himself lucky.
Although we should point out that geography did play a huge part here.
It’s now almost impossible to spot a submarine outside of a museum
A few decades ago, submarines were actually moored right next to normal boats.
That hasn’t been the case for a while, for security reasons, which is why spotting one is rare.
These sea giants almost always set off from secluded bases, and are generally well below the surface when they travel.
Some of us have probably sailed or flown over one without knowing it.
When fully submerged, submarines are virtually impossible to ‘see.’
But this guy got lucky.
Amazingly, he was able to spot one near Hawaii.
How the pilot was able to spot this sub near Hawaii
Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor is one of the most active naval bases in the Western hemisphere, but even so, the pilot was able to spot a submarine mostly due to sheer luck.
The video, which was reposted on Reddit several times, features a helicopter pilot who thought this submersible was a whale.
“Hey, look, a big whale. Oh, wait, it’s not a whale,” the pilot said.
It’s difficult to tell whether the pilot was joking or whether he seriously thought that was a whale.
But that doesn’t really matter, because what matters is that it wasn’t a whale.
Most people won’t have seen a submarine, maybe not even in a museum.
Because the thing is, submarines are absolutely massive.
They’re much, much larger than most yachts.
I saw one once, at a museum.
It was roughly the size of a soccer pitch, around the same size as the world’s biggest yacht, Azzam.
Probably the most impressive human-made vehicle this side of a space rocket.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
