Sanctuary Ocean Count 2008 results by island and site

The highest island figure for 2008 is 21 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Kahoʻolawe in February (Kahoʻolawe has one count site). The lowest is 1, for Oʻahu in January. March was the lowest or tied for lowest of the three figures on Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island, but not on Oʻahu.

The 2008 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 26, February 23 and March 29. We list the island averages stated in the press releases, and each site’s average per count, computed from the sheets’ site tables.

The results sheets from this season print no island averages.

Island figures, 2008

The press releases print whole numbers and don’t say how they round. The statewide column is the release’s own average per site.

Island figures for the 2008 counts: average whales per site per 15-minute count period, as printed (– means no figure)
Count	Kauaʻi	Oʻahu	Hawaiʻi Island	Kahoʻolawe	Statewide	Source
January January 26	3	1	3	–*	2	press release
February February 23	6	3	3	21	–	press release
March March 29	3	2	2	5	3	press release

* Kahoʻolawe, January: the press release says "Did not participate in January count."

Headcount and sites reporting, 2008

What the 2008 press releases give for each count
Count	Headcount	Sites reporting
January	more than 600 volunteers	56
February	more than 700 volunteers	57
March	more than 500 volunteers	58

2008 averages by count site

The highest 2008 site value for a single count is 21.22, at Lua Keālia Luna on Kahoʻolawe in February.

We computed each figure from the results sheet’s site table: whales seen, adults plus calves, averaged over the 15-minute periods that site reported. A dash means the site reported no period that morning. Site names follow our sites list; the sheets’ spellings vary. The sheets print these tables as images, and we typed them in by hand.

Kauaʻi, 2008: average whales (adults plus calves) per 15-minute period at each site, computed from the results sheet's site table
No.	Site	January	February	March
1	Lumahaʻi Lookout	1.89	3.44	2.89
2	Cliffs at Princeville	1.89	6.89	5.89
3	KPNWR-Kīlauea Lighthouse	1.88	8.22	5.78
4	KPNWR-Crater Hill	1.11	12	4.78
5	Kapaʻa Lookout	1.56	4.89	4.33
6	Ahukini State Recreation Pier	0.67	2.78	0.44
7	Ninini Lighthouse	–	6.89	1.22
8	Māhāʻulepū-Makauwahi Trail	1.33	8.89	2.67
9	Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi	–	11.11	4.44
10	Makahūʻena Point	2.33	7	2.44
11	Poʻipū Beach Park	2	5.11	1.11
12	Kaʻiwa Point	2.89	3.89	1.11
13	Port Allen Cemetery	4.11	2.67	0.44
14	Waimea Canyon Drive	4.44	3.22	0.44
15	Pacific Missile Range Facility	6.44	6	2.78

Oʻahu, 2008: average whales (adults plus calves) per 15-minute period at each site, computed from the results sheet's site table
No.	Site	January	February	March
1	Ewa Beach Park	0.22	0.11	0
2	Ko ʻOlina	0	0.22	0.89
3	Māʻili Point	2.11	1.67	1
4	Mākua Cave	2.33	1.5	2
5	Kaʻena Point (West Shore)	2.89	1.78	2.56
6	Kaʻena Point (North Shore)	2	1.67	5.67
7	Mokulēʻia Beach Park	0.33	6.56	3.78
8	Puaʻena Point	1.56	0.67	1.22
9	Shark's Cove	2.89	5.78	2
10	Turtle Bay Resort	1.67	2.11	1.33
11	Lāʻie Point	1	7.78	4.89
12	Hauʻula Beach Park	–	–	–
13	Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers)	0.78	2.11	1.44
14	Pyramid Rock	–	–	–
15	Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook)	–	–	–
16	Lanikai	0	1.78	0.44
17	Waimānalo Beach Park	0	0.11	0
18	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	0	9.56	3.44
19	Hālona Blowhole	0.33	4.44	0.89
20	Lānaʻi Lookout	0.67	6	2.22
21	Hanauma Bay	0.75	6	1.56
22	Spitting Caves	0.11	6.44	1.67
23	Diamond Head	0.78	5.11	0.56
24	Magic Island	0	0.89	0
25	Kakaʻako Beach Park	0	0.67	0

Hawaiʻi Island, 2008: average whales (adults plus calves) per 15-minute period at each site, computed from the results sheet's site table
No.	Site	January	February	March
1	Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park	0.11	1.22	0
2	Ka Lae Park	1.11	2.89	0.56
3	Miloliʻi Lookout	4.11	0.56	0
4	Hoʻokena Beach Park	1.44	0	0
5	Hōnaunau Lookout	1.11	0	0
6	Keauhou Scenic Lookout	2	1.67	1.33
7	Keāhole Point (OTEC)	3.67	4.22	1.67
8	Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort)	8.11	7.22	0.11
9	Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park	5.33	3.56	6
10	Mile Marker 7	9.89	3.89	6
11	Lapakahi State Historical Park	3.11	5.89	4.22
12	Kapaʻa Beach Park	4.89	5	5.33
13	Old Coast Guard Road	5.89	4.44	4.12
14	ʻUpolu Point	2.33	4.44	1.56
15	Waipiʻo Valley lookout	–	–	–
16	Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout	0	3.67	0.89
17	Onekahakaha Beach Park (Hilo Bay)	0	5.89	4.33
18	Kumukahi Lighthouse	0	0	0.22
19	Kehena Lookout	0.22	0.67	0.44
20	Kaʻena Point (Chain of Craters Road)	–	–	–
–	ʻŌʻōkala	0	3.44	0
–	Paukaʻa Point	–	–	–

Kahoʻolawe, 2008: average whales (adults plus calves) per 15-minute period at each site, computed from the results sheet's site table
No.	Site	January	February	March
1	Lua Keālia Luna	–	21.22	5.22

Sources

We link to each document rather than copy it. Where the original page is gone, the link goes to its Internet Archive copy.

Press release, January 26 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, February 23 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, March 29 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet, January 26 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet, February 23 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet with site table (Internet Archive copy)
Cullum, A. M. (2010). Sanctuary Ocean Count: Analysis of Humpback Whale Census and Behavior Data 2002-2010, part 1 (Internet Archive copy)
Cullum, A. M. (2010). Sanctuary Ocean Count: Analysis of Humpback Whale Census and Behavior Data 2002-2010, part 2 (Internet Archive copy)
Cullum, A. M. (2010). Sanctuary Ocean Count: Analysis of Humpback Whale Census and Behavior Data 2002-2010, part 3 (Internet Archive copy)

The official record is on oceancount.org, and you register for the next count there too. The island figures on this page, and the site-table cells behind its site averages, are also in our download files; the methods page compares how each source averages and rounds its figures. This site is independent and not part of NOAA or the Sanctuary Ocean Count.