LIHUE — Three strong blows, traveling movements off the Ahukini Pier shoreline, and a big splash off the Kapaa Lookout on New Year’s Day signaled that humpback whales have returned to Hawaiian waters.
Humpback whales were once plentiful in oceans around the world. But the population was depleted by the whaling industry during the start of the 20th century. In 1973, the United States government made it illegal to hunt, harm or disturb humpback whales.
When the Endangered Species Act was passed, the humpback whale was listed as endangered and protected by a range of laws including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and a variety of state wildlife laws.
“We cannot do it ourselves,” said Jean Souza, Kauai programs manager for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
“The (humpback) whale population is doing well,” Souza said. “During the last census, there were about 10,000 whales returning to Hawaii waters where they breed and calve before returning to waters near the Artic to build up blubber for the next trip.”
Souza’s family, including husband Wayne, retired from the state DLNR, daughter Keri, a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and currently a sixth-grade teacher on Oahu, and son Weston, a senior at Waimea High School, has been involved with her work with the humpback whale.
She became associated with the whales in 1995.
“I was doing consulting work in Regional Planning when I was asked if I would be interested in doing some work for the HIHWNMS,” Souza said.
In 1999, the part-time position became full time and Jean has since been at its helm.
Everyday people are a key part of the sanctuary’s work, Souza said.
People who buy whale shirts from the organization help the effort without realizing how the purchase supports the program, she added.
One of the key projects coordinated by the HIHWNMS is the annual ocean count which will take place for three months starting Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and March 29.
Registration for the count can be done by visiting www.sanctuaryoceancount.org. Souza said first-time volunteers need to attend a training class.
Kauai classes are scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Jan. 18 at the King Kaumualii Elementary School.
February training classes will from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 8 at the King Kaumualii School cafeteria, and from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 15 at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center classroom.
The final training class will be held at the King Kaumualii School cafeteria from 9 to 11 a.m. March 22.
“The ocean count is a snapshot in time,” Jean said. “Volunteers’ participation is more enriching when they are trained.”
She said the key is awareness, and through the collaborative efforts of its partner agencies, there has been a strong educational presence on the island.
On the other side of the island, Souza, no stranger to rolling up sleeves and diving into marine environment projects, worked with Justin Yamagata, the science teacher at Waimea Canyon Middle School, to do a beach cleanup along the Waimea shorelines.
Jean also coordinates the appearances of marine experts during the free monthly Hawaiian Marine Environment Series presentations sponsored by the Friends of the Hanapepe Public Library.
“They don’t have budgets for travel,” Jean said of the free presentations usually done on the first Thursday of each month. “We rely on our own marine experts to come out.”
With the ocean count looming, Jean will be the featured speaker 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hanapepe Public Library meeting room, 4490 Kona Road.
“The talk will focus on humpback whale behavior in Hawaii, and how large whales are freed of life-threatening entanglements,” she said, showing off a new entanglement tool. “This tool is not for freeing whales, but for freeing the response members who might get entangled and pulled off the boat while trying to free the whales of its entanglement.”
Info: www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov
