LIHUE — The final Ocean Count on Saturday by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary strayed from the norm for volunteer counters on the Garden Island. The most active whale-spotting sites on Kauai were at the Kilauea Lighthouse
LIHUE — The final Ocean Count on Saturday by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary strayed from the norm for volunteer counters on the Garden Island.
The most active whale-spotting sites on Kauai were at the Kilauea Lighthouse and the Makahuena Point where an average of six whales were sighted during a 15-minute count period.
But the search wasn’t limited to whales.
Jean Souza, the Kauai programs coordinator, said at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge-Crater Hill site, the site leader and the refuge intern spotted an empty kayak floating in their area, and called the U.S. Coast Guard to report it.
In a news release Sunday, the Coast Guard is searching for a possible missing kayaker approximately half-a-mile northeast of Kilauea Point on Kauai’s North Shore.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Kauai received a call at 11:11 a.m., Saturday from a Good Samaritan on shore stating she noticed an unmanned, adrift, yellow kayak in the area.
Personnel from the Kauai Fire Department located the kayak with dive gear, which included fins, a wet suit, paddle and weights aboard.
Following a search in the vicinity of the kayak, no one in distress was found. No one has been reported missing, or in distress in the area.
Following the discovery of the kayak, a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Kauai searched the area.
Anyone with information which can help identify the owner of the kayak is asked to call the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center at (808) 842-2600.
As far as whale-counting, Fiona Langenberger, the programs administrator for the HIHWNMS, said a total of 165 whales were seen during the 9 to 9:15 a.m. viewing period, the most of any time period throughout the count based on data from 57 of the 58 sites statewide.
Kauai and Oahu sites reported an average of three whales being spotted during a 15-minute count period with the Big Island reporting an average of two whales for the final count of the 2014 year.
Souza said Ninini Point, matching the island average of three whale sightings along with sites at Mahaulepu-Makauwahi Natural Trail, and Mahaulepu-Makawehi, site leader Mike Kano and volunteers may have observed a newborn calf in the outer reaches of Nawiliwili Bay.
“We are reviewing photos for confirmation,” Souza said. “Confirmation of all of the factors which indicate a newborn may be a difficult undertaking due to the distance of the observers from the mom and the calf. Boaters traversing Nawiliwili Bay should exercise caution to avoid colliding with the mom and calf that may be stationary, or relatively slow-moving.”
Souza said federal and state laws prohibit the approach within 100 yards of a humpback whale on the water.
She said Saturday was the last of three counts for the 2014 humpback whale season.
“Overall, the 2014 Ocean Count results were excellent for Kauai,” Souza said. “Viewing conditions, including weather, wind, clear skies, ocean conditions, had a lot to do with the success. There were many whales along the east and south shores of the island during periods of high surf along the north and west shores.”
The success of the counts are dependent on the trained volunteers, 104 showing up Saturday, and on the land managers and landowners who allow the Sanctuary to use the sites consistently each year. Souza said in addition to the count data, the Kauai teams provided on-site education to more than 1,200 members of the public over the span of the three counts in 2014.
