By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Humpback whales are nearing the end of their annual visit to Hawai‘i, and preliminary numbers from the annual whale count show they are loyal tourists.
"With about three fourths of the results in, we show 196 whales were sighted off O‘ahu," said Naomi McIntosh, acting sanctuary manager for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. "Last year we estimated over 200, so it looks like the data is comparable."
The final results, compiled from reports of trained, volunteer whale counters at sites across the state, will take several weeks to compile, McIntosh said. The counters took their tallies yesterday.
Humpback whales were nearly extinct in 1966, when they were listed as an endangered species and protected from whalers. Fewer than 1,000 humpbacks remained.
Scientists now estimate as many as 5,000 humpbacks populate the North Pacific, feeding in the colder, northern waters and wintering in Hawai‘i, Mexico and near islands off the shore of Japan.
About two thirds of that number are thought to come to Hawai‘i, McIntosh said.
They don’t eat while they are here. They do mate.
Some of the males seem pretty persistent about the mating part, McIntosh said. The females, who often come to Hawai‘i with calves in tow, may not be quite as interested.
The females have been known to hide behind boats when pursued by aggressively interested males.
"Its not a good situation for the boat," she said.
Usually people and whales coexist well, McIntosh said. Whales normally keep their distance from the boats, and boaters are required to stay at least 100 yards from the whales. Close encounters are rare, though recently a baby whale, breaching repeatedly off the shore of Kaua‘i, landed with his head on the deck of a whale watching boat. A woman was injured in the mishap.
"We think the whales may have a blind spot," McIntosh said. "Still, you’d think they would hear (the boats), so incidents like that probably happen when the whales are just very preoccupied with their own behavior."
McIntosh said the highest count reported so far by land watchers on O‘ahu came from Makapu point at Kane‘ohe Marine Corps Base, with 17 whales counted this year.
The points often offer the best viewing, she said. Ka‘ena Point on the northwest shore traditionally tallies high counts.
"We think it is because those areas offer shallow waters, and the whales seem to hang out in shallow waters," she said. "It is only speculation, but we suspect they prefer shallow waters as a safehaven from predators. It may be easier for them to see the tiger sharks, which are predators here."
The Marine Sanctuary got some high tech help with the count this year. Science & Technology International, a locally based company that uses hyperspectral imaging systems mounted on the belly of an airplane to peer beneath the water, volunteered to scan the waters off the coastline from Hau‘ula to Hale‘iwa for whales.
McIntosh said the STI results tracked closely with tallies from land-based watching stations. Those compiling the information are anxious to coordinate the times of the sightings to see whether the spotters on land were seeing the same whales STI saw.
"It has really been a fun effort, McIntosh said. "So much enthusiasm and a lot of support."
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