WAILUKU, Maui — The Hawaii Superferry cruises at nearly twice the speed of other commercial vessels plying island waters and poses a greater threat to humpback whales, according to the head of the Pacific Whale Foundation.

Greg Kaufman, president and founder of the Maui-based research and education group, yesterday testified that the company's 350-foot catamaran will travel through seas containing the state's densest populations of humpbacks and other whales.

The new interisland ferry is expected to cruise at 37 knots, or roughly 43 mph. Kaufman said that in any vessel strike at 25 knots or greater, "the whale would be dead. It would be killed."

Kaufman's testimony kicked off the third week of a Maui Circuit Court hearing to determine whether the Hawaii Superferry can resume operations while the state conducts an environmental assessment of ferry-related projects at Kahului Harbor. The company launched service between Honolulu, Maui and Kaua'i on Aug. 26, but halted operations a day later because of a Maui court order and protests on Kaua'i.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday told reporters at the state Capitol that the Superferry controversy and the actions of some of the protesters are giving the state a "very bad reputation."

Lingle said it made sense for the company to postpone this week's scheduled resumption of ferry service to Kaua'i until court cases on Maui and Kaua'i are decided. The governor said the question of a special session of the state Legislature to help Hawaii Superferry is still open because of the potential that any court ruling favoring the company could be appealed, causing further delays.

"My bigger and broader concern on this issue right now is the future well-being of a sense of community in our state," Lingle said. "This is giving us a very bad reputation."

The governor and other officials were heckled at a public meeting on the ferry last Thursday on Kaua'i. Yesterday, she described some of the crowd behavior as rude and "un-Hawai'i like."

"It's just not the way we treat each other. It's not the way we relate to each other, and that bothers me a lot," Lingle said.

The potential for ferry collisions with humpback whales, dolphins and other marine species is one reason the Sierra Club, Maui Tomorrow and the Kahului Harbor Coalition have been pushing for an environmental assessment.

CALVING GROUNDS

An estimated 7,000 to 9,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawai'i in the winter months. Unlike other areas of the world where ferries operate, Hawai'i provides calving grounds for the endangered whales. Experts say calves are more vulnerable to boat strikes because they are smaller, about 10 to 13 feet at birth, thus more difficult to spot; they spend more time at the surface; and they are less experienced.

During the last whale season, there were six reported whale-vessel collisions in Hawai'i involving boats of different sizes traveling a range of speeds.

Hawaii Superferry also has expressed concerns about whale strikes and devised a whale-avoidance policy that includes avoiding waters of 600 feet or less where whales prefer to congregate, and when that is not possible, slowing to 25 knots or less while in those waters. During whale season, the ferry will sail north of Moloka'i and around Penguin Bank to avoid whale-dense areas.

Company officials have touted the vessel's high maneuverability, which they say will allow it to turn, slow and stop quickly to avoid whales. The ship is not equipped with whale-detecting sonar that would allow the vessel to react in time to avoid a collision because such equipment does not exist, according to previous court testimony.

While there is debate whether faster-moving vessels have a greater chance of striking whales, research shows a ship's speed does affect the whale's chance of surviving a collision.

FATALITY RATES

Kaufman testified studies have shown that 80 percent of whale collisions with vessels traveling at 15 knots are fatal to the animals, and that at 24 knots, vessel strikes are 100 percent fatal. The fatality rate is 50 percent when the boat is moving at less than 12 knots.

"Slower speeds result in fewer fatalities," he said. "At faster speeds, the breaking point is 15 knots. Eight out of 10 animals die with speeds of 15 knots."

Kaufman said that a study of Norwegian Cruise Lines ships in Hawai'i during whale season indicated those large passenger vessels travel at speeds averaging 14 to 16 knots. Matson and Young Brothers cargo ships move at about the same speed, he said.

He said he would advise that the interisland ferry travel at 13 knots in areas frequented by whales, an opinion shared by other agencies and experts involved in protecting humpbacks.

Vessel size also is a factor in the severity of injuries to whales, he said, with ships longer than 260 feet responsible for the majority of collisions resulting in serious injury or death.

The Hawaii Superferry is waiting to present its own whale expert, marine mammal biologist Mark Fraker, who has done research mostly in the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. Some of his work examined how offshore petroleum drilling and vessel traffic affects whales.

The hearing continues at 9:15 a.m. today. Expected to testify later in the week are state Department of Transportation Director Barry Fukunaga and Hawaii Superferry President and CEO John Garibaldi.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.