Humpback whales slow to arrive in Hawaii
In this undated file photo, a humpback whale jumps out of the waters off Hawaii. (AP Photo/NOAA Fisheries)
December usually marks the start of humpback whale season in Hawaii, but experts say the animals have been slow to return this year.
The giant whales are an iconic part of winter on the islands and a source of income for tour operators. But officials at the Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary said they’ve been getting reports that the whales have been difficult to spot so far.
“This isn’t a concern, but it’s of interest. One theory was that something like this happened as whales increased. It’s a product of their success,” said Ed Lyman, a Maui-based resource protection manager and response coordinator for the sanctuary.
“What I’m seeing out there right now I would have expected a month ago,” said Lyman, who was surprised by how few of the animals he saw while responding to a call about a distressed calf on Christmas Eve. “We’ve just seen a handful of whales.”
It will be a while before officials have hard numbers because the annual whale counts don’t take place until the last Saturday of January, February and March, according to former sanctuary co-manager Jeff Walters.
“They don’t necessarily show up in the same place at the same time every year,” Walters said.
More than 10,000 humpback whales make the winter journey from Alaska to the warm waters off Hawaii to mate and give birth.
Lyman said the whales’ absence could just mean they’re spending more time feeding in northern waters, possibly because of El Nino disruptions or because their population has gone up.
“With more animals, they’re competing against each other for that food resource, and it takes an energy of reserve to make that long migration over 2,000 miles,” he explained.
9 responses to “Humpback whales slow to arrive in Hawaii”
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We finally found something that moves slower than snail mail.
Bird attackers better leave them whales alone.
Perhaps they are enjoying the nuclear infused water of the pacific ocean thanks to the ongoing Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
AKA, infused, Smart Water?
Tourists will be disappointed.
Residents will be disappointed before the tourist do. The tourist can just go vacation at another part of the world. The residents are stuck.
I am sure everyone enjoys the whales. Tourist usually have to make their reservations way in advance. By the way, residents aren’t stuck we can travel too.
I live on the west side of Oahu, and I have seen many more whales than in previous Decembers. Like most of us that live westside, the whales may also know that the leeward coast is the best kept secret in Hawaii (oops, I hope I didn’t just blow it).
It’s NOT because of Fukushima, it’s the El Nino effect, they want us to say and believe. And actually I’ve seen way more than years before, in fact their population is increasing. Fukushima?? What is Fukushima?? Our ocean is dieing, really? I don’t see any coverups, or conspiracy theory. Ridiculous. Go eat fish!!