Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL HomeVolunteers Begin 2005's Whale Counts
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HONOLULU (AP) - The first of three annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Counts was held Saturday on Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island.
More than 685 volunteers gathered at 63 sites to tally sightings and to document surface behaviors of the endangered species.
Sanctuary officials say that overall, there was an average of eight whales sighted per 15-minute count period.
They say some sites experienced severe weather conditions, especially rainy Oahu, where the count was canceled by midmorning.
The official say the weather-related problems may have affected the tally results.
Two more sanctuary ocean counts are set for February 26th and March 26th.
Scientific studies have shown Hawaii's humpback whale population has been increasing at an annual rate of about seven percent for the past ten years.
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