Humpback Whale Count Scheduled for Three Saturdays

Volunteers are being sought to help spot humpback whales from the shore of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and elsewhere on three islands.

The activity is part of the 2014 Sanctuary Ocean Count, which is held from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the last Saturdays of January, February and March, which is peak whale season.

The program involves monitoring humpbacks in nearshore waters for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Statewide, the counts will take place at about 60 sites from the shores of the Big Island, Oahu and Kauai.

The Hawaii Volcanoes count will take place at Kaena Point, located at the end of Chain of Craters Road.

“Residents and visitors look forward to this year event which provides important population and distribution information about humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands,” a park spokeswoman said.

For more information on the statewide effort, click here.

To register online, visit www.sanctuaryoceancount.org. For any additional questions, call the Ocean Count Hotline at 808-268-3087.

At Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, registered volunteers will meet volunteer and Sanctuary Ocean Count site leader Jennifer Watson at the end of Chain of Craters Road on the scheduled count days, which are Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and Mar. 29.