EDITORIAL
Humpback territory deserves wide berth
The explosive beauty of humpback whales and their newborn calves breaching in our ocean waters is a seasonal scene we in Hawai'i cherish.
Pacific Whale Foundation
So it is viscerally distressing to hear about whales being brutally injured by human activities. Take the recent case of the two injured baby humpbacks off the coast of south Lahaina. One looked as if its back had been notched by boat propellers, a painful image to see in this newspaper.
A humpback whale calf photographed off Maui displays injuries to its back that whale experts believe were caused by a boat's propeller.
It's unlikely this calf will survive, though its mother will undoubtedly try her best to win that fight.
In reality, no one truly knows how many humpbacks die each year after colliding with boats or getting tangled up in fishing gear. Some cases clearly go unreported.
And with a rising number of whales around the Islands, according to researchers, it's incumbent on tour vessel operators, as well as recreational boaters and fishermen, to keep their distance during whale season. Calves don't have a visible spout and pop up to the surface periodically to take a breath, so extra caution is imperative.
Living in harmony with nature in Hawai'i is part of our Island culture. These acrobatic and sonorous creatures should never have to feel threatened by humans in Hawaiian waters.
