This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in November - Humpback Whales

What's Happening in Hawaii 
during the 3rd week in November:

Humpback whales are now beginning to arrive for their annual, five-month stay in island waters. Humpbacks come to calve, and preferring warm, sheltered water for this purpose, they can often be seen from shore. Arrivals can increase in December and January, with the peak population being reached in February, when much of the calving occurs. 

At least a few humpbacks winter near each of the main islands, but they can be found in greatest numbers in the enclosed waters off Maui's southern flank and over a shallow bank west of Moloka'i.

Of the several hundred adults present, perhaps 30 will bear calves, and some will also mate before setting out in April or May for their summer feeding grounds in the North Pacific. Humpbacks are known for underwater song, and their music evolves while they are here. New themes are started and old ones dropped, so that they leave with a different song than they brought. 

To see a video of singing whales, visit the Whale Trust.org Humpback Whale Song site. This site also answers many frequently asked questions about whale songs.

Visit the Discovery Channel webpage to hear Humpback whale songs as well as noises from other interesting creatures. (You may need Quicktime, RealPlayer or Windows Media player to access these audio files. DOFAW is not affiliated with Whale Trust or the Discovery Channel.)

Want to learn more about the Humpback's migration? Visit the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary site to play a fun migration game.


If you'd like to volunteer your time and join others to watch and count whales this winter, visit the NOAA Humpback Whale Sanctuary Ocean Count Volunteer page.

Natural history info and image taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events," 

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.

Volunteer Opportunities

This page will be updated as volunteer opportunity info becomes available. Stay tuned!

On Oahu:
What: Makiki Watershed Awareness Initiative needs volunteers to help clean up and care for Makiki stream.

When: Every last Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm.
Join the Oahu Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program and Hawaii Nature Center in removing invasive plants, building trails and bridges, planting native plants and working as a team to improve Makiki Valley. Click here for more info.

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Help keep Ka'ena beautiful!
Location: Ka'ena State Park
Groups: Friends of Ka'ena
Activities: Volunteer activities such as trash cleanups, vegetation restoration, cultural site protection, interpretation, and education. 
Contact: Josh Heimowitz, (808) 637-4615, friends@friendsofkaena.org
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Care for Kawai Nui marsh!
Location: Na Pohaku, Kawai Nui State Park Reserve
Groups: ‘Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi
Activities: Workdays for site maintenance, tours, educational groups, restoration of the cultural landscape.
Contact: Chuck Burrows, (808) 595-3922, chuckb@hawaii.rr.com

If you know of other volunteer opportunities, we'd love to hear about them. Leave a comment below!

Ten Things You Can Do To Reduce Marine Debris

DOFAW asks you to remember: what happens mauka can effect the health of ecosystems makai. There are so many things we can all do to help protect the unique and beautiful natural resources in Hawaii. Here are 10 ways to help reduce marine debris. This list was compiled by the Hawaii Wildlife Fund.


1. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Choose reusable items and fewer disposable ones. Please visit www.opala.org website to discover more recycling options (e.g., batteries, cans, cell pones, computers, fishing line).

2. Place all rubbish in trash cans with lids so it doesn't blow away. Keep streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and storm drains free of trash as they empty into our oceans. Throw all cigarette butts and bottle caps into refuse containers!

3. Encourage your tackle shops, docks, marinas, and fishing piers to provide adequate trash cans and recycling bins for used line and other trash. Bring your oil cans, food wrappers, and ciggerette butts back to shore to throw in the rubbish can. Visit the Berkley Fishing page and the Florida Conservation website for more info about monofilament recycling programs.

4. "Paper or plastic?" Neither! Remember to use your re-usable shopping bags when you go to the store. Also remember that "Less is more." Be mindful to select products with minimal packaging.

5. Instead of continually purchasing plastic-bottled water, use water filters, water coolers, and refillable stainless steel bottles instead. Visit www.takebackthefilter.org for more info.

6. Buy soft drinks and juice  in aluminum cans or glass bottles which can be redeemed and recycled, as opposed to plastic bottles, which are often "down-cycled" rather than "recycled."

7. Encourage restaurants to use biodegradable (or at least #1 and #2 recyclable plastic) take-out food containers and utensils. Better yet, bring your own!

8. Avoid over packaged merchandise and disposable products like plastic lighters, razors, cameras and other throw-away items. Visit www.ecocycle.org for more info.

9. Avoid body care products that contain tiny plastic "micro-scrubbers" that wash down the drain and into our ocean.

10. Serve as an example to others. Practice 1-9 above and participate in local beach clean-ups. To learn more about marine debris in Hawaii, visit www.hawaiiwildlifefund.org.

In addition, be sure to write and speak to your elected officials and encourage them to support policies that protect our ocean, and all of our natural areas. 

Like the beach? Help clean it up on Saturday December 12!

The Friends of Kaena invite you to 
Malama Kaena...


By helping with a beach clean-up
Saturday December 12 2009
9am-12pm

Want to help? Meet at YMCA Camp Erdman  69-385 Farrington Hwy.

Come dressed to work outside in hot weather. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat!

Afterwards, join the Friends of Kaena board members for lunch, where they'll discuss plans to further malama Kaena.

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)

can often be seen at the very end of Kaena Point. 

pōhinahina (vitex rotundifolia)
is one of the first plants to colonize coastal dunes, keeping the sand from blowing away. This hardy shrub bears handsome deep blue to purple blossoms that are a favorite of lei makers and growers of Hawaiian plants.
Pōhinahina is a native plant that grows at Kaena Point.

How can you help Hawaii's unique and beautiful natural resources?

Here are a few ideas:

Get outdoors! Try out a new Na Ala Hele trail, visit a forest or spend some time in your neighborhood park. Appreciate what's out there, and spread your enthusiasm to others.

Before and after your hike, make sure to clean your shoes and pant legs. Seeds from invasive plants can stick to the bottoms of your shoes and pants, which can spread to native areas. Help the native forest by keeping it free of weeds!

Plant a tree! For advice about planting the right tree in the right place, visit the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program webpage.

Plant some native vegetation. For a list of native plants, and tips for how and where to plant them, visit pages 6, 7 and 9 of the Backyard Conservation publication distributed this year on Oahu. Did you get your copy in your newspaper? If not, you can utilize this informative online resource right on your computer! While you're browsing through the booklet, learn about xeriscaping, compost, and water conservation.

Keep the environment free of litter. Make sure your trash goes into the trash can, and join beach and park clean-ups. Visit the Keep America Beautiful webpage for a list of community organizations working to keep Hawaii beautiful. If there are no clean-ups in your neighborhood or at your favorite beach, get friends and family together to start one!

Like spending time at the beach? Volunteer with the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Ocean Count program. Each winter when the humpback whales stop off in the islands during their annual migration, volunteers post up at beaches on Oahu, Hawaii and Kauai to watch for whales, and monitor their behavior. This information is then reported back to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by location team leaders. For more details about dates, locations and registering to help, visit the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale webpage.

What else can you do to help Hawaii's environment? Leave your ideas in a comment below!