Whale watching on the Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are the only known breeding and calving ground for humpback whales in the United States. Small wonder that Whale Watching tours in Hawaii are one of the most popular commercial activities for locals and tourists alike. Each winter, these Islands become home to 6,000-8,000 humpback whales, making the warm, clear, shallow, protected waters of Hawaii one of the best natural laboratories in the world to study humpback whales, and to book a commercial whale watch.
Humpback whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, migrating as far as 5,000 miles Alaskan summer feeding areas and Hawaii’s breeding grounds. Humpback whales undergo prolonged periods of fasting and have completely separated feeding from breeding and calving activities during the winter.
The Whale Trust was formed in 2001 to support field research on earth’s largest marine mammals — whales and their marine environment. Much of its research into the biology and behavior of humpbacks is currently carried out in the shallow and protected waters in the midst of the four Hawaiian islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe.
The mission of Whale Trust is to promote, support and conduct scientific research on whales and the marine environment, and develop public education programs based directly on results of scientific research. They also have the aspirationof fostering and furthering Maui’s unique situation as a natural whale research laboratory.
The Whale Trust is presently pursuing several ongoing research experiments in Hawaii, in the fields of: humpback behavior; social standards; and methods of communication. Here are a few:
Song Study
Whale songs, occurring primarily during the breeding season, are sung only by males, and their composition slowly changes as they are being sung, with all singers in a population singing the same version at any one time. Why humpback whales sing remains unknown.
Female Status in the Hawaiian Breeding Grounds
One of the great unknowns in humpback whale behavior is the status of the female: reproductive behavour and how they fit in to the social structure of humpback breeding and calving grounds.
Feeding
In order to survive the winter, Humpbacks must often eat close to a whole tonne of food per 24 hours! A humpback’s diet consists of shrimp-like crustaceans called kill (euphausiids) and various types of small schooling fish, including herring, capelin, sand lance, and mackarel.
Mating & Calving
Every winter, humpbacks gather in the tropical waters of the Hawaiian islands to reproduce and give birth. Most of Hawaii’s breeding grounds are warmer, less deep, and less dangerous than summer feeding areas.
Humpback Whale Societies
Most humpback whale social groups or communities are believed to be short-lived, with the longest lasting bond occurring between mother and calf. Still, there are hints of unexplored depths of communication..
Cow & Calf
After a 10-12 month gestation period, female humpbacks give birth to a single calf. Humans have yet to officially record the live delivery of a humpback whale calf. Females with newborn calves are commonly sighted throughout the winter, often in shallower or more inshore waters than the adult population.
Yearlings & Sub-Adults
Calves typically nurse for the first 6-12 months of life, usually separating by the end of the first year. Now known as yearlings, these young whales usually approach a length of nearly 9 metres—having nearly doubled in length since birth—, and typically have also increased in weight by a factor of 8.
Cow, Calf & Escort
Often a male escort accompanies or “escorts” a cow and calf on the breeding grounds. Surprisingly, genetic testing has proven that the calves’ are unrelated to these male escorts. Female Humpback Whales most often give birth every two to three years after they reach sexual maturity, which occurs at 4-6 years .
Humpback Behavior
Humpback whales are loved by whalewatchers worldwide, and are noted for their acrobatic surface performances. The meaning behind these impressive behaviors, however, is still unclear.
You may not think it, but you don’t need to be a research scientist to experience and appreciate wild humpback whales showing off a diversity of behaviors. HawaiiActive.com is located on Maui and provies a variety of Whale watching tours on the island. They also feature:
· Oahu Whale Watching[ tours| cruises|][ in Hawaii|]
· Kauai Whale Watching[ tours| cruises|][ in Hawaii|]
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