Maui motorists are advised that South Kihei Road, beginning at Alanui Keali’i Drive and ending at Waimahaihai Street, will be closed from 9 am to 10 am on Saturday, February 19, for Maui’s Parade of Whales.

By Wendy Osher (Update 4:39 p.m. 7/30/10) A dead sperm whale continues to float in waters off of Hana Maui.  The carcass was observed in waters near Makaalae Thursday afternoon, but residents say the dead whale was first seen on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Crews from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources were [...]

By Wendy Osher Local celebrities will bag groceries this Saturday in celebration of Earth Day, and in advance of a plastic bag ban that is set to go into effect on January 11, 2011. The plastic bag reduction bill prohibits the distribution of plastic bags at the point of sale.  When the council passed the [...]

Enforcement officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE), will be at several locations on Maui this weekend helping to educate ocean users about humpback whales, monk seals, sea turtles, and other marine protected species. DOCARE officers along with staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric [...]

A total of 1,208 humpback whale sightings were reported in the Great Maui Whale Count, held over the weekend.  The Pacific Whale Foundation says an average of 382 whales per hour were tallied during the count, which took place at 12 stations across Maui.  The sightings represented a 19.6% increase over last year, but still [...]

With Hawaii’s humpback whale season underway, officials are reminding boaters and other ocean users to use caution and follow whale protection rules. Federal regulations require people to stay at least 100 yards away from the wintering whales. In the past two years, officials reported 12 cases involving violations, including approaches by swimmers, non-motorized watercraft, and [...]

This Friday, January 9th, Maui Ocean Center invites all children in grades 3 thru 8 to have a whale-of-a-time at our fun and educational aquarium overnight!  The focus of this sleepover is humpback whales! Maui Ocean Center’s Ocean Naturalists will lead participants through a series of fun activities, including games, crafts, and movies, all centered [...]