A few days ago the captain of Prince Kuhio, a local whale watching vessel, reported coming across a mom/calf group that appeared to be acting strangely. He reported them logging on the surface, barely moving, and not interacting with each other, all behaviors he felt were abnormal. He made a call to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and a response was mounted.
Within an hour the Sanctuary's David Mattila, Ed Lyman, and Ben LaCour, along with Prince Kuhio naturalist, Katie Grove-Velasquez were on the water looking for the animals. However, all the mom/calf groups they came across that afternoon looked healthy and well. No boat struck, entangled animals, or otherwise unwell were seen. Pictures were taken of those animals that were assessed and activities were documented.
The question still remains. What happened? Did the captain see animals in trouble? Quite possibly. There are threats to Hawaii's humpback whales, including ship strikes and entanglements. If there were animals that were struck by
a vessel, they could have moved off and were not able to be found. It is also possible
that the captain had come across a new birthing. To date, t
he birthings have not been documented. Perhaps the mother and calf were just resting. Moms and calves do rest a great deal, while in Hawaii's waters, in preparation for the long journey ahead. Even if the rescue team had found the injured animals, they are not always able to help them. If they were entangled, the team would have done their best to cut the lines entangling them. If they were injured, photos would be taken and particulars documented, but not much more could be done for the whales.
If vessels in Hawaiian waters, commercial or private, find whales that appear to be in trouble, they are asked to call either the NOAA Fisheries Hotline (888.256.9840) or United States Coast Guard (808.244.5256) All boaters should have these numbers programmed into their cell phones. For your safety, and that of the animal, do not make any attempt to approach these endangered whales within 100 yards. However, standing by to maintain a fix on their position until authorized help arrives is extremely valuable. By working together, we can all help these animals.
Katie Grove-Velasquez is a marine naturalist, educator, lecturer and amateur photographer working in Hawaii. She can be reached at: reefannie@hotmail.com
