LIHU‘E — The national marine sanctuaries are celebrating 50 years of ocean conservation and stewardship, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is celebrating its 30th anniversary, said Jean Souza, a program specialist with the HIHWNMS and manager for Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery at Kukui Grove Center.
LIHU‘E — The national marine sanctuaries are celebrating 50 years of ocean conservation and stewardship, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is celebrating its 30th anniversary, said Jean Souza, a program specialist with the HIHWNMS and manager for Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery at Kukui Grove Center.
To commemorate and celebrate the anniversaries, Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery is scheduling special free activities Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at KGC, where street-side activities traditionally take place during the normal Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery operating hours.
“We’re offering free, reusable cotton carry bags that families can handstamp with a variety of stamps available at the make-and-take station,” Souza said. “We’ll have a variety of ocean-themed stamps and paint to design the individual bags. All supplies are provided free of charge.”
Additionally, the bag stampers can enjoy free cookies while supplies last.
“Butter dream cookies from Popo’s Cookies (they’re located in Hanapepe) are one of my favorites,” Souza said. “These are handmade, crispy, buttery, cornflake cookies. Erin and Kevin Cornett of Popo’s Cookies have been so great to work with. An image of the whale banner hanging near the Keiki Korner play area was made into a sticker that’s going to be going on the cookie packages.”
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to America Samoa. The network includes a system of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments.
Among the achievements of the HIHWNMS are the establishment of various volunteer programs and the Sanctuary Ocean Count shoreline-based whale-watching activity, the opening of the Kihei Visitor Center on Maui, and the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery at KGC.
Achievements also include the establishment of the Hawai‘i Whale Entanglement Response Network that has freed more than 40 whales over a 20-year period, establishing a long-term program to monitor the health and risks to humpback whales and maintaining broad partnerships engaging the on-water community and promoting stewardship, and many more.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
