#Hawaiian Islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary

Paipai Kaiāulu, a student club at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College will host an Earth Day 2026 fair titled “Hoʻōla I Ka Wai, Hoʻōla I Ke Ao — Heal the Water, Heal the World” on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UHMC Pāʻina Building.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is seeking to fill three primary and four alternate seats on its advisory council. Applications are due by 5 p.m. HST on May 18, 2026.

A total of 1,935 whales were observed across all islands, during the second Ocean Count and Great Whale Count for the 2026 season. On Maui, 847 whales were observed, the most of any location.

The “Go Slow – Whales Below” initiative is urging mariners to exercise caution as humpback whale season reaches its peak in Hawaiian waters. The safety warning follows the recent discovery of a humpback whale calf off the west coast of Oʻahu with a large gash across its back, an injury likely caused by a vessel […]

Volunteers counted 694 humpback whales off the shores of Maui during the annual Great Whale Count, the highest number recorded among the islands during the first coordinated survey of the 2026 season. The Pacific Whale Foundation and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary coordinated the event, mobilizing 433 volunteers across 43 sites throughout […]

On the last Saturday of January, February, and March, volunteers gather at their designated coastal sites on the islands of Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi, and Kauaʻi to tally observed species and help scientists assess whale distribution and abundance in the sanctuary.

NOAA is asking Maui’s on-water community to be on the look out for a recently-entangled 40-foot female humpback whale off Lahaina, Maui. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s monitoring team encountered the whale, referred to as Palette, on Thursday, Jan. 22. She was found to be in poor to moderate condition, showing moderate to strong emaciation and widespread carpets of red-colored cyamid amphipods (whale lice) across her otherwise light-colored body. If she is spotted, please call 888-256-9840 to report her location and share photos or videos if possible, but do not approach closer than 100 yards.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate’s new research has revealed that plastic pollution may pose an underappreciated threat to the survival of endangered coral reefs. The study, led by Keiko Wilkins, a recent PhD graduate from UH Mānoa’s Marine Biology Graduate Program, found that chemicals released from plastics disrupt two critical processes essential for […]

Maui Ocean Center will host its annual Coral Spawning Night from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 26. Not only will guests have the chance to witness coral spawning, but they can also hear the latest updates on pioneering coral research currently underway off the coast of Maui.

Nearly 100 close-up paintings of marine life created by Maui High School students are now on display at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center in Kīhei.

Maui Ocean Center will celebrate World Ocean Day with family-friendly activities including live music, educational stations and marine naturalist presentations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8.

Volunteers on Saturday counted a total of 1,947 whales, including 802 on Maui, 153 on Molokaʻi, 263 on Hawaiʻi Island, 321 on Kauaʻi and 408 on Oʻahu. The count was part of the second coordinated effort this season by the Pacific Whale Foundation and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

The total number for the Great Whale Count on Maui was 702, for a grand total of 2,121 throughout the state.

Two humpback whales were freed of life-threatening entanglements on Jan. 8 and 9 off the coast of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. These most recent responses bring the total number of humpback whale entanglement cases since mid-December to eight.

Responders are working with staff from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to tow the whale remains offshore for disposition, as requested by Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners.

In the heart of Māʻalaea Village, nestled on Maui’s south shore, a community’s love for the land drives its dual battle against environmental degradation and wildfire risk. This close-knit village, a hub for marine research and education, is home to the Hawaiʻian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Keʻālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, and visitor treasures like the Maui Ocean Center and the Pacific Whale Foundation.

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host the October edition of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” featuring Maria Harvey, on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Outrigger Resorts & Hotels has renewed its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are having a positive spillover effect, producing more “trophy-size” fish just outside of the fully protected areas, and the effect is growing stronger over time.

World Ocean Day is held each year on June 8 to “help unite and rally the world to protect and restore our blue planet.” Maui Ocean Center will celebrate World Ocean Day with family-friendly activities including live music, art projects and marine naturalist presentations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 8. Discounted admission for kama‘āina, with valid Hawaiʻi state ID, is $10 per person (ages 3 and younger are free).