Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is one of the world's most important whale habitats, encompassing 1400 square miles in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands. It was designated by United States Congress on November 4, 1992 as a National Marine Sanctuary to protect the endangered humpback whale and their marine habitat in the North Pacific. [cite web
url=http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/hi_humpb.htm
title=GORP - Hawaiian Islands humpback whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher=gorp.away.com
accessdate=2008-04-06]

anctuary

Since the crustaceans, krill and small fish the humpback whales feed on live Hawaii's warm, shallow waters close to shore, the whales were drawn there and became easy prey for early whalers. Here too, the whales mate, calf, and nurse their young. [cite web
title = About the Sanctuary
work = Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
date = 2007-05-17
url = http://www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/about/about_sanctuary.html
accessdate = 2008-04-09 ] In 1966 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) put them in a protected status worldwide, but large illegal kills continued into 1970's. Currently the humpback whales are thought to number about 30,000-40,000 worldwide, which is approximately 30–35 percent of their previous population. [cite web
url=http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/humpback.htm
title=humpback whale | Cetacean Fact Sheet | American Cetacean Society
publisher=www.acsonline.org
accessdate=2008-04-09]

It is also estimated that almost two-thirds of humpback whales in the North Pacific migrate yearly from Alaska to spend their time in Hawaiian waters. [cite web
title = About the Sanctuary
work = Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
date = 2007-05-17
url = http://www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/about/about_sanctuary.html
accessdate = 2008-04-09 ] As many as 10,000 humpback whales are thought to visit Hawaii every year,cite web
title = Welcome
work = Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
date = 2007-05-17
url = http://www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/Welcome.html
accessdate = 2008-04-09 ] an increase from the 1,000 whales estimated in 1978. [cite news
last = Kubota
first = Gary T.
title = Bump with whale is warning for all
work = Vol. 13, Issue 38
publisher = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
date = 2008-02-07
url = http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/07/news/story04.html
accessdate = 2008-04-09 ] This number is still greatly diminished from the estimated 15,000 to 20,000 in the days before the whaling ban. [cite web
url=http://www.ngsednet.org/workshop_details.cfm?w_id=27
title= Hawaiian Islands humpback whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher=www.ngsednet.org
accessdate=2008-04-06] It is crucial for the protection and long-term recovery of humpback whales to protect not only the whales but their habitats.

The Sanctuary also conducts research into reducing the threats to these endangered whales. [cite web
url=http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2006/
title=State of the Sanctuaries Report 2006
publisher=sanctuaries.noaa.gov
accessdate=2008-04-08] Every year it conducts a whale count. Data have shown that Hawaii’s humpback whale population is increasing by approximately seven percent annually. [cite web
url=http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080128_sanctuary.html
title=NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Volunteers Count Whales in NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands humpback whale National Marine Sanctuary
publisher=www.noaanews.noaa.gov
accessdate=2008-04-06]

Humpback whale

Compared to other whales, the humpback whale has extremely long flippers which reach up to 30 percent of its length of up to 40 feet. The whale appears dark from the top while its flippers and tail, the sides and underside appear partially white and are noticeable when they are beginning dive as are their small dorsal fins. [cite web
url=http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/marine/humpback.php
title=humpback whale: Wildlife Notebook Series - Alaska Department of Fish and Game
publisher=www.adfg.state.ak.us
accessdate=2008-04-09
last= Zimmerman
first=Steven T. ] Male humpback whales engage in "singing." These songs have been described as long, complex "songs". Whales in different areas of the world sing different songs. A song may last from 10 to 20 minutes, and can be repeated for hours. The songs have been found to change a little from year to year. The songs may be a part of mating behavior as is their circle bubbling. Since they prefer the shallow shore waters, they are easily observed and their songs can be heard at a distance underwater. [cite web
url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/humpback-whale.html
title=humpback whale, humpback whale Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic
publisher=animals.nationalgeographic.com
accessdate=2008-04-09] The whales engage in many other interesting behaviors that can be observed from shore. [cite web
url=http://sailhawaii.com/whales.html
title=humpback whales in Hawaii pictures, behaviors
publisher=sailhawaii.com
accessdate=2008-04-09
last=
first=]

ee also

*Hawai`i Institute of Marine Biology

Footnotes

Further reading

*cite paper
author = Sanctuaries and Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
title = Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Final Environmental Impact Statement/Management Plan. A Federal/State Partnership for the Protection of Humpback Whales and Their Habitat
version =
publisher = NOAA
date = February 1997

External links

* [http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/sos2006/ Hawaiian Islands humpback whale National Marine Sanctuary]
* [http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/ humpback whaleNational Marine Sanctuary]
* [http://www.govsupport.us/navynepahawaii/Docs/Vol2_Part8of9_HRC_DEIS_JULY07_sec4_7.pdf Hawaiian Islands Humback Whale National Marine Sanctuary]
* [http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/humpback.htm humpback whale - Megaptera novaeangliae]
* [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/humpback/ humpback whale on PBS]
* [http://www.sailhawaii.com/whale.html Watching Humpback Whales in Hawaii]