AHUKINI — Rough weather could not deter the observers from their task, Saturday. Jean Souza, the Kaua‘i coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said 165 volunteers representing a broad cross-section of residents and visitors were at
AHUKINI — Rough weather could not deter the observers from their task, Saturday.
Jean Souza, the Kaua‘i coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said 165 volunteers representing a broad cross-section of residents and visitors were at 14 designated Ocean Count sites on Kaua‘i, including the Ahukini State Recreational Pier.
Christine Brammer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said more than 800 volunteers counted whales and collected data from around the shores of O‘ahu, Kaua‘i and the Big Island for the first of three annual Ocean Counts. A whale count on Maui is conducted independently by the Pacific Whale Foundation.
During the four-hour period, participants tallied humpback whale sightings and documented the animals’ surface behavior during the survey. Other marine wildlife seen during the count included Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, spinner dolphins and a variety of sea birds including tropic birds, albatross and boobies.
The Big Island had the largest number of sightings in a 15-minute count period with six whales being counted. O‘ahu averaged three whales and Kaua‘i had the smallest number with two sightings in the 15-minute count period.
“This is the lowest average for a January ocean count on Kaua‘i since 2005,” Souza said. “In spite of the few whales counted, many breaches were observed. Last year’s high of eight whales per count period in January was attributed to the excellent viewing conditions around the island.”
Saturday’s weather was “harsh” for ocean count volunteers at seven Kaua‘i sites on the North Shore and Eastside with cold winds from the north, rain, choppy seas, and fog over the ocean affecting half of the Kaua‘i sites, she said.
“Two sites, the Kilauea Lighthouse and Ninini Point closed early,” Souza said. “Volunteers at the Kapa‘a Lookout near Kealia Beach were also released early with the observations there being continued to the end of the survey by site leaders John and Mary Burger who made observations in their vehicle.”
Souza said the sanctuary appreciates the public and private landowners and land managers who allow the counts to take place from their properties.
Conditions were ideal on the South Shore and Westside with blue skies, no rain and flat ocean conditions.
This was demonstrated in the high counts recorded at Maha‘ulepu-Makawehi with six sightings and the Port Allen Cemetery with five sightings in the 15-minute count period. An exception to the inclement weather was the Kilauea Lighthouse site marking five sightings.
Other sites did not fare as well as Makahuena Point, Kaiwa Point and the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Mana reporting three sightings. Crater Hill, Princeville, Po‘ipu Beach Park and the Waimea Canyon Drive overlook reported two sightings and the Ahukini park site reporting one sighting.
“Today’s count was a great success with more than 800 volunteers participating,” said Brammer, sanctuary ocean count coordinator, in a release. “The Ocean Count project provides a unique opportunity for the public to learn about Hawai‘i’s humpback whales while participating in a monitoring effort. Many volunteers come back year after year because it is easy to get hooking on watching Hawai‘i’s humpback whales.”
Souza said in addition to recording sightings and conducting other exercises surrounding the ocean count, volunteers distributed information about humpback whales to 336 people at the various sites.
Despite the poor sighting counts, volunteers turned out in force, Chanita Makanui and her grandmother, Linda Kaauwai-Iwamoto, spending the count period in the warmth and comfort of their pickup at Ahukini.
“We’ve always wanted to do this,” Makanui said. “We were going to do it last year, but that never happened so we weren’t going to let this year pass without participating.”
Souza, helping orient new Ahukini site leader Marga Goosen become settled, said Makanui was so enthused, she’s already recruiting other family members to the next counts.
Two more sanctuary ocean counts are scheduled for Feb. 27 and Mar. 27.
“Registration is continuing for the next two counts with volunteer trainings, including a humpback whale lecture, scheduled for Feb. 20 and Mar. 20 in Lihu‘e,” Souza said.
For more information, call 246-2860.
As many as 10,000 humpback whales winter in Hawai‘i’s waters, states the NOAA release. Hawaiian waters provide critical breeding habitat for approximately two-thirds of the north Pacific stock of humpback whales.
Scientific studies have shown that Hawai‘i’s humpback whale population has been increasing at an annual rate of approximately 7 percent. Data from the sanctuary ocean count can be used to corroborate these findings.
For more information, visit www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
