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Seeing whales 'gives a
By Lori Tighe
face to the ocean'
Star-BulletinFirst they saw a far-off splash: the sign of a whale breaching. Next they spotted a humpback swimming straight toward them, closer and closer, until it was directly below and skirting the cliffs at Makapuu Lighthouse no more than 10 yards off.
They watched, mesmerized. The huge dark form swept majestically past before heading back out to sea -- and then, as if released, they burst out in excitement.
"It was unbelievable," said Ewa Beach resident David Kuh, who was there. "Everybody was in total awe. We were yelling and screaming and clapping."
The occasion was last year's whale count on Oahu, and moments like that are prompting Kuh and hundreds of other volunteers to look toward the ocean from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the island's annual tally of the marine mammals, with particular attention to the endangered humpback. A count on the Big Island also will be conducted at the same time.The counts come at a time of encouraging trends. As the humpback population continues to rise, so do the number of whale watchers. Conservationists say the unprecedented interest could be what protects humpbacks in the future.
"We see a resurgence, a retaking of ownership of humpback whales," said Naomi MacIntosh, Oahu liaison for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
"We've received email from Hawaii and all over the U.S., a lot of East Coast people, who want information on where they can see whales. We can't keep up."
Whale watching has experienced a "firestorm effect," said Greg Kaufman, president and founder of the Pacific Whale Foundation on Maui, which this Saturday is hosting the 20th annual Whale Day Celebration in Kihei.
"The fire has caught on, fanned and has blown around the world," he said.
Resurgence in population
Catching on took some time. Whale watching as an organized activity began in the 1950s in California, spreading to Provincetown at Cape Cod, Mass., in the 1970s, Kaufman said. When a worldwide moratorium on commercial whale hunting went into effect in the 1980s, the focus shifted dramatically from killing to viewing.Researchers this winter broke the news that there are about 12,000 humpbacks in North Pacific waters, higher than previously thought. That provoked fears the whales would be taken off the endangered species list and be subject to hunting again. But Kaufman believes the upsurge in popularity for the humpback and whales in general -- combined with the economic benefits of watching -- could protect them.
Case in point: In 1988 there were fewer than 1,000 whale watchers in the Ogasawara Islands in southern Japan, where humpback and sperm whales once were hunted. Now there are 35,000 a year, even though it takes a 30-hour boat ride to reach the islands, said Kaufman, who helped establish a whale-watching industry there.
"Whale watching has spanned all economies and languages all over the world," he said. "What we have found is, people universally enjoy watching whales and dolphins. The watching gives a face to the ocean."
For some, seeing a whale is enough to turn them from casual observer to lifelong champion. Barbara Billand of Maili said she and her family never knew humpbacks could be seen from land until a fire destroyed a neighbor's home in 1983 and opened a view of the ocean off the Waianae Coast.
"One day a whale came by, and my dad was the first to see it," she said. "We thought he was crazy."
Now Billand -- whose license plates read "HUMPBK" -- scans the ocean for at least a half-hour each day during whale-watching season, with most of her spottings between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Seeing a whale is "like a gift," she said. She and her husband, Robert, often share their binoculars with tourists while at other whale-watching sites.
Whale watching is a commercial activity in an estimated 65 countries and island territories which realize breaching can mean bucks. Whale of an economic boost
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study concluded humpback-related tourism brought an estimated $19 million to $27 million into the state last year.
"They are total strangers, and through the whales they become friends," she said.
Acrobatics unique in Hawaii
Some mainland families plan their vacations around whale-count weekends and, vice versa, some island families delay their trips to the mainland. Robert Manson of Kaneohe is temporarily putting off a ski trip to Lake Tahoe because, the Army major said simply, "There are no whales on Lake Tahoe."He still can recall being on a Kona boat trip with his wife, Judith, and seeing two humpback whales breaching at the same time.
"It was a tulip," he said. "They just fell apart. It's one of those things you always hope you see. The whole boat and the captain applauded."
Allen Tom, manager of the national whale sanctuary here, said the acrobatics performed by humpbacks in Hawaii are uniquely spectacular. William Douros, superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California, agrees.
"We'll see all kinds of whales, but they're not behaving as they are in Hawaii," he said. "The humpbacks are very theatrical as they jostle for mates. When they come here, they're just coming for food."
And as the humpbacks impress viewers this weekend, they likely will recruit more supporters.
"They're a magnet," Kuh said. "Once you see one, they draw you to their heart."
THE COUNT
Schedule of events
By Star-Bulletin staffSaturday
On Oahu, some 300 to 400 people are expected at 34 sites. Call 397-2656 to register.
For information on the Big Island count, call Lisa Diaz at 808-329-7928.
The free event will include food, crafts, displays and entertainment by Fiji and the Hoopii Brothers.
The celebration will be preceded from 9 to 10 a.m. by the Parade of Whales, which will go from Kihei Baptist Chapel to Kalama Park.
And a Keiki Whale-a-thon will be held at the park at 10 a.m., letting children experience the life of a humpback whale through a series of obstacle course stations. Register by 9:30 a.m.
For more information, call 879-8860.
Sunday
Highlights include entertainment by Sean Naauao, a children's theatrical performance by Ohia Productions entitled and a "Whale Splash" contest.
Free tickets will be given to participants in the Sanctuary Ocean Count. Others will be charged park admission. Call the park at 259-7933.
Upcoming
The count is being held in conjunction with the third annual Family Ocean Fair, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at the lighthouse. The free event will include entertainment, food booths, kids' activities and guest speakers.
