WHALE WEEK MAUI Ocean Blue Education February

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1 WHALE WEEK MAUI Ocean Blue Education February We headed out towards the Molakai Channel on Day 1 in search of adventure and whales. We soon found both! Our 28 foot raft appeared insignificant in size and presence next to an extremely surface active competition pod. We gasped and stood in awe as 7 male Humpbacks jostled with their 40 ton bodies for the principal escort position next to a female. It was a whirlwind of bloody tubercles, massive head lunges, speedy turns and meaty peduncles. Head Lunge Photo By Sonia Betsworth Competition Pod High Surface Activity If you ve ever been on the water amidst a competition pod of humpbacks, you undoubtably were witness to the awesome power of these massive mammals. The pods can often times be easily recognized by the multiple blows bursting off the horizon line in quick succession. These competitive groups- composed of a single female (with or without calf), in or near estrus, and multiple males competing to mate- can be characterized by their high surface activity and fast moving travel. The excitement of a competition pod is hard to miss. Male humpback whales threaten and fight with each other, mostly over access to a female. This behavior ranges from threat displays to fierce physical contact. A principal escort, nearest the female, is most active in defending his position against the challengers. (Darling 2009; Hawaiis Humpbacks) This could mean a show of bubble blasts, body blocks and high speed chases for onlookers. Tail Lash 1

2 Double Synchronized Breach. Two Whales, heaving their bodies out of the water, soaring upwards with pectoral fins spread wide, at exactly the same moment. Whale Season in Hawaii is epic! Baby Breaches And BIG BREACHES Baby Breach Photo By Sonia Betsworth, Full Breach by Tyler Korte Humpbacks acrobatics above the water draw thousands of travelers to Hawaii every winter. They come simply to whale watch - amazed by an ocean creature spending its time at or above the surface. Every day, boats kick off from the dock filled with people- eyes glued to the water, scanning the horizon line, and ears wide open, listening for Breach, 2 o clock! Witnessing a breach is considered the most unanticipated and exciting humpback behavior among whale watchers. At any given moment a breach could manifest from as little as three or four pumps of a fluke, from as shallow as 60 to 80 feet. The whale s approach to the breach is at full speed and straight up, then breaking through the surface and into the air, out of its natural element. An expert in nonverbal communication, Dr. Dan Salden suspects breaching is the humpback's way of announcing "It is I!," with any surrounding activities forming a context in which the breach must be interpreted. It may be an aggressive signal from a whale joining a competitive group, saying "It is I, watch out!" or a parting shot from a disaffiliating whale, "Remember me!". When accompanied by a breach, whatever the whale is communicating is "said" with emphasis. (Field Guide to Hawaiian Humpback Whale Behaviors, Hawaii Whale Research Foundation) On a smaller scale, a calf breaching is undoubtedly the most enthusiastic of all the behavioral displays. Born a third its mother s size, this 15 foot babe plays at impersonating essential whale behaviors. In 6 weeks time it will begin a 3,000 mile migration to Alaska alongside its mother. The 2-3 month journey requires that the calf be strong and ready to go the distance. Fortunately for Maui s visitors this means getting a chance to observe calves try at practice makes perfect when it comes to breaches, tail slaps, and peduncle throws. 2

3 Flukes! Flukes! And More Flukes! No two are the same. One could be totally black with frilled edges and barnacle encrusted tips, while another may be colored white with a single crosshatch marking the upper right quadrant of a straight-edged tail. A humpback s tail is its fingerprint. Whale Trust co-founder and executive director Meagan Jones, keeps a veritable rap sheet of fluke photo i.d.s numbering in the thousands. These perfectly framed shots of the tail s underside are used to identify individual whales, and are paramount in studying humpback behavior. In Maui, every winter season Whale Trust s researchers shoot pictures of humpback flukes, which are then cataloged year after year. From these photos, and the information gathered at the time they were taken, researchers know exactly whose fluke belongs to who (male, female, mother), what they were doing (breaching, logging, tale slapping, flipper slapping, etc.), where they were (g.p.s. coordinates), how many other whales they were with (if any), and when they were spotted (month, day, year). This winter O.B.E. participants skipped over the waves in Hawaiian Rafting Adventures vessel PELES RAIV, captained by Steve Juarez, to have fun and get involved in current whale research. All in all they spent 5 days on the water and contributed 30 photos to Whale Trust s fluke library. fluke fluke fluke fluke!! FLUKE!!! The fluke up dive is tantamount to a tie baseball game, 9th inning, bases loaded, 2 outs, 2 strikeshere comes the pitch... batter swings..it s going, going, GONE! HOME RUN! The excitement is palpable and the crowd goes wildevery time. When a giant tail slips beneath the surface it is a bittersweet sight, indicating the whales intention to make a deep dive for at least several minutes. A means to an end for the average whale watcher, but if you re photo identifying whale tails, then the sentiment is- Fluke On! (HOME RUN) 3

4 Click-Click-Click. The rapid fire of fully loaded Nikons and Canons was the only sound, aside from the lethargic slap of a long pectoral fin on glassy water. Flat-calm, no wind, not a ripple out of place. It was the reason for all the commotion in the shooting gallery (i.e. the bow, stern, starboard and port sides of the boat)- ideal conditions + tons of whales. A mother breaks the surface with calf in tow. Click-Click-Click- Click-Click-Click, followed by stifled laughter from the men and women behind the cameras, realizing that paparazzi status had been reached. Humpbacks in Maui draw alot of attention, especially from folks who know how to wield a camera. Whether photography is your craft, hobby or passion, these whales are one of the most difficult and rewarding subjects to photograph. Whale Watch Photography 4

5 Life in Maui isn t as easy as you think for a diver. Paradise to enjoy at every turn. Surrounded on all sides by pristine ocean to explore. Then the whales start to arrive in November and the simple life of a diver becomes definitely twisted by one question- To Dive or to Whale Watch? A 40 foot humpback whale sliding through the rocky pinnacles and past divers at Sergeant Majors made combining whale watching and diving just part of the plan this February. Following a morning of whale watching and photography it was only too easy to bounce over to Lanai and jump in the water for some afternoon diving. Divers cruised along reefs blanketed in schools of colorful butterfly fish and snapper while looking for turtles, octopus and white tip reef sharks. Lanai s many pukas and caves offer quiet and protected refuge for a diversity of animals, including whales! Diving Lanai And Maui Photos By Steve Juarez 5

6 Join Us Next Year February 2010 Ocean Blue Education Maui Whale Week Hosted along with Hawaiian Rafting Adventures and Whale Trust Whaling in the 1900 s decimated the North Pacific humpback whales to an estimated 10% of pre-whaling numbers ( may have survived). Ever since the protection of Humpback whales in 1966 the population has managed a steady climb back from the brink of extinction. The SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks) project shows that humpback whales in the North Pacific have substantially recovered from whaling to a current population size of approximately 20,000. Over 50% of this population winters in Hawaii. So many mysteries remain about our vast ocean environment. Every day, people world-wide strive to further their knowledge about its diverse systems and life. Marine research provides the public with insights to the underwater world offering hard data, compelling information, new technology, vibrant photos and video, and cause for positive change in the ocean environment. Two companies that strive to bridge the gap between education and research are Non-Profit, Whale Trust (Maui) and Marine Science Expeditions, Ocean Blue Education. O.B.E. s programs involve the public in ongoing marine research while encouraging fun and meaningful interactions with the ocean. obeducation@gmail.com Special Thanks to Meagan Jones & Whale Trust, Marty Snyderman, Steve Jaurez, and all Whale Week participants. Ocean Blue Education PO Box 303, Pinehurst NC