LIHU‘E — Watching a whale breach off Ahukini Landing was the perfect way to wake up Saturday, said Lani Broadbent, part-time resident of Wailua and Maryland. Broadbent was one of many volunteers taking part in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
LIHU‘E — Watching a whale breach off Ahukini Landing was the perfect way to wake up Saturday, said Lani Broadbent, part-time resident of Wailua and Maryland.
Broadbent was one of many volunteers taking part in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count.
Ahukini Landing is one of more than 60 sites around Kaua‘i, O‘ahu and the Big Island where the shore-based humpback whale survey is conducted during the last Saturdays of January, February and March, said Christine Brammer, NOAA communications coordinator, in a press release.
Brammer said the sanctuary’s annual Ocean Count has helped generate widespread enthusiasm for humpback whales and Hawai‘i’s marine environment over the years. More than 1,850 volunteers participated in the 2010 counts.
Broadbent, who was enjoying her first sanctuary count, brought along her niece, Kayla Halleman of Honolulu, who is currently working towards a master’s degree.
“This is fun,” Halleman said, marking the appropriate box for a pectoral fin, one of the behavioral patterns observed. “I didn’t know what to expect. The whales are pretty close and the breach was pretty exciting. It made this whole thing worthwhile.”
Marga Goosen was the site leader at Ahukini. She said the volunteers would make observations for 30-minute periods. As a site leader, Goosen said she made additional observations within 10-minute blocks in the 30-minute period.
Of the 12 volunteers participating Saturday at Ahukini, Shannon Kay of Kapa‘a had her two daughters and a friend also being first-time counters.
Frankie Kay, at 11 years old, was the youngest of the group. The sixth-grade student at Kapa‘a Middle School said she can usually see the whale spouts from campus.
“It was pretty exciting to see the first one breach,” she said.
Kelly Kay and her friend, Ivana Wu, are students at Island School.
The count is one of several projects coordinated by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary that encourages government and citizens to work together in protecting the whales, Brammer said.
Registration for the Feb. 26 and March 26 counts are being accepted. Call 246-2860 for more information.
Brammer said due to administrative changes, data from the Saturday counts will not be available until early next week.
