Sea Talk on Hawaii’s False Killer Whales

Maui Ocean Center hosts a Sea Talk tonight (Monday, April 05, 2010) on Hawaii’s False Killer Whales.  Dr. Robin W. Baird, a research biologist, offers a slideshow presentation on the species population decline.  The main Hawaiian Islands are home to a small resident population of false killer whales, the only known island resident population of this species in the world.  The talk begins at 6 p.m. in the Open Ocean Exhibit.

False killer whale calf with mother. Photo Courtesy Maui Ocean Center.

Dr. Baird’s lecture will touch upon what is being learned about this species in Hawaii, what might be causing the resident population to decline, and what is needed to protect this species in Hawaiian waters.  The population has declined dramatically over the last 20 years and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service is considering listing this population under the Endangered Species Act.  NOAA has also just formed a “Take Reduction Team” to try to reduce false killer whale bycatch in Hawaii longline fishing.

Admission is complimentary.  Reservations are highly recommended by calling 808-270-7089.  Entry is through the Aquarium’s front gate at 5:50 p.m.  More information is available by calling call 808-270-7075.

About the Speaker
Dr. Robin W. Baird, a Research Biologist with Cascadia Research Collective, has been studying false killer whales in Hawaiian waters since 2000.  He obtained his Ph.D in Biology from Simon Fraser University in 1994, and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Cascadia Research Collective, founded in 1979, is a non-profit research and education organization based in Olympia, Washington.