Over 1,000 Volunteers Help Sanctuary Count Koholā

May 14, 2024

humpback whale leaping out of the water
Every winter, thousands of humpback whales travel to the warm, shallow waters of Hawai‘i to mate, give birth, and raise their young. Photo: NOAA Fisheries Permit #782-1438

During the 2024 Sanctuary Ocean Count, volunteers went to their designated sites on the islands of O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Molokaʻi and Hawai‘i to count koholā (humpback whales) and record any other species seen. At the same time, Pacific Whale Foundation Great Whale Count volunteers collected data from Maui and Lānaʻi, marking the sixth year that both counts were coordinated on the same days, ensuring the data from all the main Hawaiian Islands were collected simultaneously. The counts took place from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the last Saturday of January, February, and March.

As the 2024 koholā season concludes in Hawaiʻi with the koholā migrating back to their summer feeding grounds, here is a recap. This year, more than 1,300 volunteers participated and observed 5,120 koholā during the counts. Due to the nature of how this data is collected, the total number may represent duplicate sightings of the same koholā by different observers or at different time periods or locations throughout the count days. Volunteers were also able to educate 1,110 members of the public who stopped by their sites to learn more information about koholā and the counts.

"While the total count numbers are intriguing, what truly matters is observing the trends over time," said Sanctuary Ocean Count Coordinator Cindy ʻIwalani Among-Serrao. Data collected during the Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count, combined with other research efforts, can help reveal trends in koholā occurrence within and among whale seasons.

people looking through binoculars at the sea
Volunteers keep eyes on the water at Keauhou Scenic Lookout on Hawaiʻi Island during the 2024 Sanctuary Ocean Count. Photo: Fern Gavelek
people looking through binoculars at the sea
Sanctuary Ocean Count volunteers at Pyramid Rock use binoculars to look for koholā. Photo: Jan Eber

"We want to mahalo all our volunteers who participated this season and we look forward to welcoming back the koholā for the 2025 season," Among-Serrao concludes.

Ocean Count is supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. For more information, contact Cindy.Among-Serrao@noaa.gov.