Angela Tillson, the site leader for the Ahukini Ocean Count, was trying to make light of the blustery weather that greeted her group of nine whale counters yesterday morning. “I was at the meeting when (the whales) decided they would
Angela Tillson, the site leader for the Ahukini Ocean Count, was trying to make light of the blustery weather that greeted her group of nine whale counters yesterday morning.
“I was at the meeting when (the whales) decided they would sleep in,” Tillson joked. “Apparently, these never got the message.”
Despite the blustery trades that whipped salt spray, the counters persevered and were rewarded with activity as blows and dives could be seen between the whitecaps and large crashing surf.
“The 120 Kaua‘i volunteers participating in the Sanctuary Ocean Count this morning all faced adverse weather conditions,” said Jean Souza, the Kaua‘i programs coordinator for the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, in an e-mail.
Souza said strong, cold winds, large waves and sea spray, punctuated with doses of rain, made viewing and counting extremely difficult, but the volunteers didn’t relent.
Advisory-level surf coupled with the brisk trades kept one of the sites, the Ninini Point Lighthouse, closed because of the weather.
Five sightings were reported in the first 15 minutes at the Port Allen cemetery site, where volunteer Jackie Lott balanced conversing with visitors, scanning the ocean and trying to keep her observation sheet safe from the wind and rain.
At Ahukini, Tillson’s crew reported a single sighting in the first 15 minutes of the count period, which ran from 8 a.m. until noon. That number increased to two in the second 15 minutes, and within the four-hour span, the group recorded six sightings.
At the Port Allen site, one of the more area producing lots of sightings, there were 15 in the first hour.
A dozen sightings were recorded in the first hour at Kilauea Lighthouse, with three more before the site was closed down at noon due to rains.
The PMRF site team reporting a total of 52 sightings, their most productive period being between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m., when the group had 10.
Only the Mile Marker 7 site on the Big Island exceeded that count with 84 sightings, according to a summary presented by the NOAA.
These figures were based on the preliminary reports from the NOAA, and Souza said other data collected during the count must await compilation and detailed analysis at a later date.
“Today proved what one ocean count site leader said years ago following a cold and rainy morning. ‘It’s not for wimps,’” Souza said.
Two more counts are scheduled for Feb. 23 and Mar. 29 at 15 locations on Kaua‘i.
New volunteers are required to register.
Additionally, Souza is presenting “Beyond Tail Slaps and Breaches: Understanding Hawai‘i’s Endangered Humpback Whales” on Feb. 4 at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria.
For more information, call the Sanctuary office at 246-2860.
