That morning off Maalaea Harbor in January 2007 was definitely not the best time to be on the ocean. Rain was pouring down in cold, gray torrents; the wind was relentlessly playing with everything it could move; and water from the choppy sea was splashing all around the boat that was carrying observers from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

"It was one of those days when you think you’d be better off staying in bed with a good book," recalled Ka‘au Abraham, the sanctuary’s Maui island coordinator. "Then, suddenly, two adult whales simultaneously breached and continued to do so for several minutes. It was amazing, incredible! Every day during whale season (December through April), it’s worth it to be constantly on the lookout for whales because you never know when something like that is going to happen again."

Humpbacks are found worldwide. Most of them follow the pattern of Hawaii’s humpbacks; that is, they feed in polar waters during the summer and migrate to tropical areas in the winter to breed and give birth.

There was a large population of humpbacks prior to the early 20th century when commercial whaling began. By the mid-1960s only about 1,400 of them remained in the North Pacific Ocean. The humpback was classified as an endangered species in 1970.

Thanks to the international ban on commercial whaling that began 50 years ago and the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (which makes it illegal to harass, injure or kill a humpback whale in U.S. waters), the North Pacific humpback population now numbers more than 21,000. About half of them winter in Hawaii. Federal law requires all ocean users to maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from the whales.

Created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii, the whale sanctuary is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources. It stretches from the shoreline to the 600-foot depth around the north shore of Kauai; the north and south shores of Oahu; the north Kona and Kohala coasts on the west side of Hawaii island; and all around Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Penguin Bank, a submerged shield volcano off Molokai’s western coast.

The sanctuary promotes ocean stewardship and fosters awareness of the humpback whale and other marine creatures through research, workshops, community lectures, outreach programs, shore-based whale watches, volunteer and naturalist training, and a 1,100-square-foot beachfront visitor center in Kihei, Maui.

The Navy constructed the building that houses the visitor center in 1940. NOAA acquired it in 1971, and the sanctuary began using it in 1994 as office space.

"But since it has fantastic views of the ocean, Lanai, Kahoolawe and West Maui, it made sense to convert the ground floor into a visitor center," Abraham said. "About 11,000 people from all over the world have visited the center since it opened in April 2012."

Exhibits share insights about humpback whale anatomy, migration patterns, mating cycles and feeding behaviors. Instead of teeth, humpbacks have between 270 and 400 fringed baleen plates that hang from both sides of their upper jaw. Fine hairs on the ends of the plates strain food from the water the whales take in.

"At one display, visitors can touch baleen plates, a humpback vertebra and green sea turtle and hawksbill turtle shells," Abraham said. "Because the humpback and those turtles are endangered species, people would not ordinarily be able to handle such artifacts, but we have a permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service that allows them to do so."

Among the other highlights are the only Hawaiian monk seal skeleton on display in the world; a children’s corner where keiki can learn about humpback whales through games, puzzles and coloring books; and videos showing the sanctuary’s efforts to free whales from potentially life-threatening fishing gear and marine debris.

Plans call for the installation of exhibits that share information about the adjacent 500-year-old Koieie Fishpond, Hawaii’s coral reefs and how the ancient Hawaiians lived in harmony with nature, never taking more from the land and sea than they needed.

"The visitor center provides valuable insights about the humpback and other amazing marine creatures," Abraham said. "It’s an unforgettable peek at underwater treasures that most visitors don’t know much about."