Humpback Whale Season

by Jean Souza

Swimming whale upside down with white pectoral fins. Permit HWS_P774-1714-40.

Here in Hawai‘i, we are currently in the middle of the humpback whale season, which goes from November through May.

Hawai‘i is the only state in the country where humpback whales breed, calve and nurse their young. During the breeding season, as many as 12,000 individuals may return to Hawai‘i, making Hawai‘i one of the largest humpback whale breeding grounds on Earth.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was designated by Congress in 1992 to conduct research, resource protection and education/outreach activities. Federal and state laws prohibit approaching humpback whales within 100 yards on/in the water or 1,000 feet in the air.

Reports of whales in distress and possible violations of federal laws can be made by calling the NOAA Marine Wildlife Emergency Response Hotline at (888) 256-9840.

• Jean Souza is a Program Specialist with Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. She serves as the on-site manager of Kaua`i Ocean Discovery in Kukui Grove Center, and is a member of the Hawaii Large Whale Entanglement Response Network. Email: Souza@noaa.gov

Humpback whale mom and her calf. Permit HWS_P14682-42967

Breaching whale calf. Permit HWS_P728-1438-40182

Breaching adult humpback whale. Permit HWS_P1000-1617-40402

Pectoral slap. Pectoral fins are 15-feet-long on an adult. Head is on the right; flukes are on the left; looking at the ventral side. NOAA Permit 302110342

Whales older than two years are identifiable by the undersides of their flukes (tail). The black and white pattern, the shape of the flukes, and the trailing edge all help identify individual whales. This tail is heavily damaged. This is a non-lethal injury. Permit HWS_P728_1438-40267

Underwater, whales sometimes blow bubbles from their blowholes when in a competition group. Permit HWS-NOAA-P15240-UW-8618

Head lunge by a male is an aggressive behavior by a male in a competition group. Permit HWS_P728-1438-40256

Male against male in a physical aggression in a competition group. Note double blowholes, a characteristic of a baleen whale. Permit HWS_P782-1438-2-2006-12-20-HWS_P728-1438-40300

Humpback whale dorsal fins are small. This one has been damaged, likely by a boat propeller. Permit HS_Research-P15240-067C7D_4668

Fine lines can be lethal, as in this case where they are cutting into the whale’s flesh near the tail. Permit NOAA MMHSRP-P932-19051121

A life-threatening entanglement of a line around the head. Permit HWS_NOAA932-1905-C7D_1532

An assessment of the whale’s condition (entanglement is suspected) using a submerged go-pro camera at the end of a long pole, conducted by trained responders who are authorized and permitted to respond to entanglements. Permit HWS_P15240378

An authorized, boat-based response effort, utilizing special tools successfully removed the entangled lines that were cutting into the whale’s flesh. NOAA Permit MMHSRP-P932-19051443.

Some of the tools used in the boat-based entanglement response effort.

Whenever possible, all gear that is removed from a life-threatening entangled whale is brought to shore for analysis and source identification. The long term goal is to work on measures that prevent entanglement. This is one of the response vessels used by the network of trained and authorized responders headed by Ed Lyman (R) of HIHWNMS. NOAA Permit MMHSRP-P932-190577EGL_3279