Hoi Kohola giveaway in Hanapepe, Princeville on Saturday

LIHU‘E — The Hanapepe Public Library and the Princeville Public Library, the only two known libraries on Kaua‘i with Saturday hours, will be among the places where the free Roger Hall posters on whales will be distributed Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

The free posters are a part of the statewide Hoi Kohola celebration to welcome back whales. The event is organized by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

“These are the only two libraries on Kaua‘i that have Saturday hours,” said Jean Souza, the HIHWNMS Kaua‘i programs specialist. “The posters will also be available at all Kaua‘i public libraries, starting Nov. 15.”

The libraries join the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery at the Kukui Grove Center where the posters will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the facility that is still closed due to COVID-19. Volunteers will be distributing the posters from a table located outside the doors. Following 1 p.m., posters will be available at the Deja Vu Surf Hawai‘i store located near the Keiki Korner play area.

In addition to the poster giveaway at the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery, a reprint of an article written by Souza on “Hawai‘i’s Marine Wildlife Need Your Kokua.”

“With humpback whale season starting in Hawai‘i, we, residents and visitors, can all help the whales and Hawai‘i’s other marine wildlife by embracing ocean etiquette and following the rules,” Souza said. “This article promotes better understanding of the critters and how to help them.”

The poster has made it easy for those wanting to learn the identification for more of Hawai‘i’s marine wildlife. Illustrated by wildlife illustrator Roger Hall, the poster has been improved to include all names — the common name, scientific name, and Hawaiian name — of each critter in an identification key located on Side 2 of the poster.

“This poster is a great tool to bring awareness to the many critters that inhabit our ocean, particularly within the sanctuary,” Souza said.