Humpback Whale

Humpback whales use “bubble nets” to catch krill, which researchers have determined to be an example of tool modification and understanding. That’s following a new Royal Society Open Science article on the whales that included University of Hawaiʻi researchers.

World Whale Day was started on Maui back in 1980 by the late Greg Kaufman of the Pacific Whale Foundation to draw attention to the magnificent creatures and the dangers they encounter. The Conversation talked with the foundation’s lead scientist, Jens Currie, as well as Ed Lyman of NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Off the coast of Lahaina, researchers are on the lookout for humpback whales that come to the islands every year around this time to breed. HPR contributor Adia White joined a Whale Trust crew on their new boat to find and record a special whale song. Both of the nonprofit's research vessels were moored in the Lahaina harbor the day the August wildfire swept through.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the Pacific Whale Foundation coordinate annual whale counts to understand population trends. The number of whales sighted during peak time periods decreased by 38% compared to last year.

A total of 997 whales were spotted at about 42 whale watching sites across the islands on Saturday.

A humpback whale has been freed after it was found in a life-threatening entanglement of rope, with a bundle of gear and two buoys attached.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary reports numerous mother and calf pairs in Hawai‘i waters. Here are some tips for how to keep the whales, and yourself, safe.

It’s that time of the year when the North Pacific humpback whales migrate to Hawaiʻi to breed. HPR’s Zoe Dym brings updates from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine National Sanctuary.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of America’s National Marine Sanctuary System. Two of the 17 federally protected masses of water are located in and around Hawaiʻi. Both sanctuaries have helped increase the population of endangered species such as Hawaiian monk seals. HPR's Zoe Dym has more.

The United States Postal Service released a series of stamps featuring animals in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The Conversation talked to National Marine Sanctuary Site Director Kris Sarri about marking 50 years of the system that stretches from American Samoa to the Atlantic shores.