Question: Is five dead whales spotted in the span of six weeks more than usual for Hawaii?
Q: Do they know what killed those whales?
Q: Are the recent whale deaths related somehow? … It seems like a lot since November.
Answer: It is a higher number than usual this early in the whale season, but it is not a large number overall; and scientists are unsure whether the reports indicate an actual increase in whale deaths or heightened awareness that such sightings should be reported to authorities, said David Schofield, regional coordinator of the Marine Mammal Response Network. Authorities do not know what caused the deaths and therefore do not know whether they are related.
“Considering that we have thousands of whales offshore throughout the season, maybe as many as 8,000 to 12,000 whales, I would expect that we would see more whale carcasses come ashore, but we haven’t seen many in the past, possibly because of the currents between the islands. So are we just happening to see them because we have more awareness, or is it a higher number of deaths? That’s the question,” said Schofield, who works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In 2013 five dead whales were investigated over the course of the entire season, which lasts roughly from November to May; humpback whales migrate to Hawaii from Alaska waters to breed, calve and nurse their young. “So if it stops, and we have five for the whole season, then that would be within the norm,” he said. However, if a trend develops into peak season (January, February and March), then that could signal an environmental concern. “The short answer is that it’s too early in the season to make a judgment call,” said Schofield, adding that he may be able to offer a better assessment by April.
NOAA depends on observant members of the public, particularly whale-watching tour boat operators, to report sightings of stranded or entangled marine mammals, as well as carcasses of dead ones. The 24-hour hotline is 888-256-9840.
In the five recent cases, necropsies were not performed because all five whales were either too decomposed to get good scientific results or were out of reach, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Three carcasses were confirmed as humpback whales, and the other two were assumed also to be humpbacks but were too decayed for officials to be certain.
According to DLNR, the first whale carcass was towed out of Oahu’s Kailua Bay on Nov. 11; the second was left in place off Waianae on Nov. 28 and broke apart after five days; the third was spotted off Molokai on Dec. 16 but was not accessible for towing; the fourth was reported off Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Dec. 26 and drifted out to sea without ever hitting shore; and the fifth was reported off South Maui on Dec. 29 and washed ashore the following day in a remote cove.
There have been no new reports since the Maui case, Schofield said Wednesday.
Q: What does it mean when the news says the mayor returned a bill without his signature?
A: It generally means that a measure passed by a City Council has become law without the mayor’s formal approval (his signature). It’s a way for a mayor to signal some concern about a measure without vetoing it and preventing a law from taking effect, or provoking a veto override by the Council.
Mahalo
Mahalo nui loa to the visitors from Phoenix, the physician’s assistant, the Scout leader and everyone else who provided first aid, physical assistance and emotional support after I injured myself in a fall at Diamond Head on Dec. 26. They all, local and visitor alike, showed that they have the true aloha spirit. I am grateful to every one of them. I am banged up but recovering, and most of all, I am grateful to everyone who assisted me and my family. — Grateful hiker
