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Researcher on Board Humpback Whale Program
Project Name:
Researcher On Board Humpback Whale Program
Project Dates:
Winter of 2010 - ongoing
Project Site(s):
Maui County Waters (Four-Island Area), Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Project Aims:
To determine the rate and location of vessel-whale interactions, along with the frequency of “Surprise” and ‘Near Miss” encounters.
Project Justification:
Data collected on this issue will be useful to determine where and how frequent vessel whale interactions may be occurring in Maui County waters. Information gathered will help determine if additional precautions need to be taken by boat captains at specific times of day or in specific areas to further prevent collisions with whales in Maui waters.
Project Methodology:
Using Pacific Whale Foundation’s whale-watching ecotours’ fleet as a Platform of Opportunity, one member of our research team is deployed on board of whalewatching vessels departing from Maalaea and Lahaina as an observer and to collect data. PWF eco-tour vessels abide to all federal and state whalewatching regulations during operation and data collection.
Data collected includes environmental variables such as sea state, wind speed, cloud cover, and glare to determine sighting conditions on the water. Using a handheld GPS device, we record the vessel’s track and, at regular intervals, the number of humpback whales found within a mile radius from the boat.
Staff also record “surprise encounters”, which are encounters with a humpback whale that occur closer than 300 yards from the boat without having previously being detected by the captain and crew. When a “surprise encounter” occurs, the time, location, number of whales involved, the distance from the boat at first detection, sex and age class of the whale(s) are recorded.
Project Permits and/or Collaborators:
This project is conducted during regular whalewatching operations by research and naturalist staff. sightings are collected opportunistically. No permit required since the cetaceans are not actively approached or ‘taken’ by our vessels. PWF eco tour vessels abide by all federak abd state regulations and guidelines in effect for Hawaiian and National Marine Sanctuary waters
Management Outcomes:
During 2011, 2,464 humpback whale sightings including 133 (3%) surprise encounters were recorded. Findings suggests vessel speed is important and that the probability of incurring in a near miss increases by approximately 8% with an increase in one knot of boat speed. Therefore, regulation of boat speed during whale season is critical. The study also suggests there are differences by vessel type in the probability of having close encounters with whales and that weather also affects this probability.
Publications/Presentations:
See Pacific Whale Foundation Publication/Presentation Summary
“Whale Surprise Encounters and Near Misses: Proxies of Vessel Strikes in Maui County Waters” (a paper presented by Pacific Whale Foundation at the 2011 International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee meeting). Download this paper.
