#humpback whale

“In the Wake of Whales” follows UH scientists as they study and monitor the annual migration of humpback whales from Alaska to Hawaiʻi.

A humpback whale missing part of its tail has been spotted off the coast of Anacortes, Wash., after completing a more than 2,600-mile journey from Maui.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s Spring Ocean Camp for kids in grades 2-5, takes place from March 17 to March 21. The camp gives children an opportunity to interact with the ocean environment in a fun and educational way during their spring break.

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.

With the help of friends, colleagues and community, Kaufman created a lasting impact. For the past four decades, the Maui Whale Festival, which runs throughout February each year, has honored the arrival and departure of these majestic creatures.

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

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology biologists used drone imagery to understand how nursing humpback whale mothers and their calves fare as they cross the Pacific Ocean. Recent declines in North Pacific humpback whale reproduction and survival of calves highlight the need to understand how mother-calf pairs expend energy across their migratory cycle. The study was published in “The Journal of Physiology.”

Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” to hunt, but they discovered that they manipulate the bubble net to maximize their food intake in Alaskan feeding grounds. 

“If we can understand them, understand their behavior and what they’re doing, then it can tell us a lot about some of the changes that are taking place in the ocean. The whales are amazing themselves, but they’re even more valuable when we think about them as these, basically, indicators of ocean health.” — Marc Lammers, research ecologist with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

Volunteers counted a total of 855 whales throughout the state Saturday during the third coordinated event held this season. Similar counts held earlier this season resulted in a total of 2,124 whales observed on Jan. 27, and 2,141 whales observed on Feb. 24, 2024.

Each year between November and May, thousands of Koholā (humpback whales) return to Hawai‘i to breed, give birth and nurse their young. During this special time of year, boaters are reminded to reduce their speed and keep a safe and legal distance around whales.

New research reveals a daily pattern pattern for humpback whale songs which dominate the marine soundscape during the winter months off Maui. Researchers with the University of Hawai’i, in partnership with NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary found that whales move their singing away from shore throughout the day and return to the nearshore in the evening.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary welcomes back koholā (humpback whales) and volunteers for the 2024 Sanctuary Ocean Count scheduled for Jan. 27, Feb. 24, and March 30. 

OCEAN Organic Farm & Distillery, a dedicated advocate and partner of ocean conservation nonprofit, Pacific Whale Foundation, will present the organization with a donation, celebrating the annual return of humpback whales to Maui Nui waters.  

NOAA is investing $17 million from the Inflation Reduction Act in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to improve the climate resilience of the Kīhei, Maui visitor and community center. The facility’s beachfront location makes it vulnerable to climate change impacts, including upland flooding, powerful storms and sand inundation.

The total number for the Great Whale Count on Maui was 313, for a grand total of 1,121 throughout the state.

A total of 596 humpback whales were observed during the Great Whale Count on Maui, for a grand total of 997 spotted throughout the state. On Maui, Great Whale Count volunteers collected data from 12 sites during 15-minute intervals between 8:30 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. A total of 105 whales were observed during the 11:30-11:45 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count. 

For years, it was commonly thought that humpback whales did not have a presence in the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. That changed in 2006, when scientists recorded a whale song remotely, but not much was known about abundance at the time A new paper reports an abundance of […]

With increased whale activity around the islands, NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and state managers remind boaters to be on the lookout for humpback whales and their calves.

On Maui, the Great Whale Count by Pacific Whale Foundation was only able to report from one of 12 designated sites due to ongoing heavy rain. The single Great Whale Count site on Maui was able to report 41 whales. A total of nine whales were observed during the 10-10:15 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.