122 humpback whales sited off Kaua‘i during final day of statewide coordinated annual count

More than 700 humpback whales were observed by 489 volunteers this weekend where nonprofits held their last of three coordinated whale counts throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

For the past seven years, the Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count have coordinated efforts for the Great Whale Count by Pacific Whale Foundation during peak whale season annually on the last Saturday in January, February, and March.

This ensures data from all the main Hawaiian Islands are collected simultaneously, according to a press release from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Volunteers collected data from 41 sites across the state. A total of 109 whales were observed during the 9:30 to 9:45 a.m., the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.

The Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count had volunteers observing whales on shore from Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Molokaʻi and Hawai‘i Island. Volunteers collected data from 29 sites where a total of 52 whales were observed during both the 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. and 9:30 to 9:45 a.m.

Volunteers on O‘ahu counted 220 whales across 10 sites. Kaua‘i volunteers observed 122 across 10 sites, on Hawai‘i Island 28 were counted across eight sites and 11 were counted at Moloka‘i’s sole site.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count collected data from Maui and Lānaʻi. Volunteers collected data from 12 sites during 15-minute intervals between 8:30 a.m. and 11:50 a.m.

A total of 61 whales were observed during the 9 to 9:15 a.m., the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.

Maui volunteers recorded the most whale sitings with 307 across 11 sites. On Lānaʻi, 26 of the animals were counted at its single site.

The total throughout the state was 714. Officials say this number may represent duplicate sightings of the same whale by different observers or at different time periods or different locations throughout the day.

Data collected during the Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count combined with other research efforts can help reveal trends in humpback whale occurrence within and amongst whale seasons, officials stated.

Conditions across the main Hawaiian Islands were decent for observing whales with mostly sunny skies paired with light winds, calm seas and some vog.

As usual, a variety of other species were also spotted during the count including honu (green sea turtles), ʻilioholoikauaua (Hawaiian monk seals), manō (shark), naiʻa (spinner dolphins), and multiple bird species such as ʻiwa (great frigatebird), mōlī (Laysan albatross), koaʻe ʻula (red-tailed tropic bird), nēnē (Hawaiian goose), manu-o-kū (white tern) and more.

Preliminary data detailing Sanctuary Ocean Count whale sightings by site location are available here. Additional information is available on the sanctuary’s website here.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s Great Whale Count data may be found here with additional information here.