Where
to find Humpback Whales on Oahu
Humpback whales generally congregate in ocean
waters less than 600 feet deep throughout the main Hawaiian
Islands. Humpback whales in Hawai`i can at times be encountered
on the surface over deeper waters. Mothers can be seen teaching
their calves to breach, and males can be seen competing
with one another in fierce head-to-head battles. The areas
around Maui are known to be some of the most active in Hawaii.
You don't have to board a boat to see humpback whales on
Oahu. Each year a volunteer National Humpback Whale Sanctuary
whale count is conducted from land on the islands of Oahu,
Hawaii (the Big Island), Kaua`i and Kaho`olawe. The top eleven
Oahu Whale Watching locations are listed here with a calculation
of the probability of seeing whales.
site 3 Ma`ili Point - med/high 2.00
site 6 Ka`ena Point North Shore - high 1.90
site 9 Sharks Cove - med/high 2.58
site 11 La`ie Point - high 3.42
site 14 Pyramid Rock (MCBH) - high 2.20 (military installation)
site 18 Makapu`u Point Light House - high 4.67
site 19 Halono Blowhole - high 3.33
site 20 Lana`i Lookout - high 3.41
site 21 Hanauma Bay - high 3.69
site 22 Spitting Caves - high 4.00
site 23 Diamond Head - med/high 1.91
Humpback
Whale References and Links
There are many organizations involved in whale
research and you can spend hours reading about observations
and theories on whale behavior. I have included links to
some interesting sites.
Oahu
Island News The Humpbacks of Honolulu
http://www.oahuislandnews.com/index.php/feature/comments/the-humpbacks-of-honolulu/
NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
Marine
Wildlife Viewing Guidelines - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/education/viewing_wildlife.pdf
Earthtrust
Humpback Whales
http://www.earthtrust.org/wlcurric/whales.html
Encyclopedia
of the National Marine Sanctuaries - http://marinelife.noaa.gov/
The
Hawaii Whale Research Foundation - http://www.hwrf.org/
PBS
Nature Humpback Whales - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/humpback/
Cascadia
Research - http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/
American
Cetacean Society - http://www.acsonline.org/
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