Ocean Awareness Training for Humpback Whales and Marine Mammals in Maui
Each year theOcean Awareness Training (OAT), and the NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provide training about Humpback Whales, Monk Seals, Dolphins, Coral reef fish, blue whales and sperm whales to name a few here in our area. This past tuesday evening a large crowd was lucky enough to hear Ed Lyman, the Marine Mammal Response Manager for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary at the Lahaina Civic Center.
We at Kellam and Sons and AikaneX5, love our marine life here in Maui and wanted to share the experience of the meeting with you. We were delighted with what we saw and recommend that anyone who has the time to break away from the tube and come see this series of lectures and video presentations. They are well worth your time. By the end of the meetings I think we were more concerned with what we do not know about the humpback whale population, than the wealth of information that was shared with us. It becomes apparent that the amount of resources dedicated to the study and maintenance of this amazing population that comes to visit us each year is sorely lacking.
Among other things, we learned that at least 18 species of marine mammals live in Hawaiian waters for all or part of the year. Many are culturally significant, are indicators of a healthy marine environment, and serve as an attraction for Hawaii’s visitors. The three best-known local marine mammals are the endangered humpback whale, Hawaiian spinner dolphins and the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Humpback whales, (Kohola), migrate to Hawaii each year to give birth, nurse their young, and mate. Whales begin to appear in November and linger until May, although we spotted the first whales this year off of Hawaii, and on October 5th whales were spotted between Lanai and Maui. Peak numbers of whales occur between January and March. Females typically give birth to a calf every two to three years and their calves nurse for roughly 10 months to about a year. The male humpback sings an elaborate song, which apparently has social significance. Many think that it is other males that respond to the songs, but why and what they are trying to communicate is still a mystery. Humpbacks feed on small schooling fish and krill ( a shrimp like organism) during the summer and fall months in productive areas of the North Pacific, like Alaska. Humpbacks are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). They are afforded additional protection from the state wildlife laws, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Thanks in part to these protective measures, humpback populations are recovering to approximately 12,000 humpbacks migrating primarily to and from the Alaskan and Hawaiian waters each year.
Many collisions between whales and vessels occur annually. These events present serious risks to the boaters as well as the whales. Many humpback whales congregate in waters less than 600 feet deep throughout the Hawaiian Islands. However, mariners may encounter whales in deeper waters offshore.
On AikaneX5 we do a myriad of things to avoid hitting whales, some of which include:
1. Slow down - When whales are believed to be in the area, and reduce your speed.
2. Keep a sharp lookout - Post a dedicated person to watch for whales.
6. Approaches - don’t approach whales from head on or directly behind.
We really enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot more than we are sharing here. Make it a point to go to a meeting if you can. Your help and support is greatly needed to keep the wonderful natural resources we have here in Maui alive and healthy for future generations.
Brad and Laura Kellam
We at Kellam and Sons and AikaneX5, love our marine life here in Maui and wanted to share the experience of the meeting with you. We were delighted with what we saw and recommend that anyone who has the time to break away from the tube and come see this series of lectures and video presentations. They are well worth your time. By the end of the meetings I think we were more concerned with what we do not know about the humpback whale population, than the wealth of information that was shared with us. It becomes apparent that the amount of resources dedicated to the study and maintenance of this amazing population that comes to visit us each year is sorely lacking.
Among other things, we learned that at least 18 species of marine mammals live in Hawaiian waters for all or part of the year. Many are culturally significant, are indicators of a healthy marine environment, and serve as an attraction for Hawaii’s visitors. The three best-known local marine mammals are the endangered humpback whale, Hawaiian spinner dolphins and the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Humpback whales, (Kohola), migrate to Hawaii each year to give birth, nurse their young, and mate. Whales begin to appear in November and linger until May, although we spotted the first whales this year off of Hawaii, and on October 5th whales were spotted between Lanai and Maui. Peak numbers of whales occur between January and March. Females typically give birth to a calf every two to three years and their calves nurse for roughly 10 months to about a year. The male humpback sings an elaborate song, which apparently has social significance. Many think that it is other males that respond to the songs, but why and what they are trying to communicate is still a mystery. Humpbacks feed on small schooling fish and krill ( a shrimp like organism) during the summer and fall months in productive areas of the North Pacific, like Alaska. Humpbacks are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). They are afforded additional protection from the state wildlife laws, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Thanks in part to these protective measures, humpback populations are recovering to approximately 12,000 humpbacks migrating primarily to and from the Alaskan and Hawaiian waters each year.
Many collisions between whales and vessels occur annually. These events present serious risks to the boaters as well as the whales. Many humpback whales congregate in waters less than 600 feet deep throughout the Hawaiian Islands. However, mariners may encounter whales in deeper waters offshore.
On AikaneX5 we do a myriad of things to avoid hitting whales, some of which include:
1. Slow down - When whales are believed to be in the area, and reduce your speed.
2. Keep a sharp lookout - Post a dedicated person to watch for whales.
- 3. Be ready to respond - Keep hands on the helm and throttle at all times.
- 4. Do not power to any closer than 100 yards from sighted whale activity, then throttle down.
6. Approaches - don’t approach whales from head on or directly behind.
- 7. AIkanex5 believes in making a difference to Marine Conservation in Hawaii.
We really enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot more than we are sharing here. Make it a point to go to a meeting if you can. Your help and support is greatly needed to keep the wonderful natural resources we have here in Maui alive and healthy for future generations.
Brad and Laura Kellam