Sanctuary Ocean Count 2009 results by island and site

The highest island figure for 2009 is 14 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Kahoʻolawe in January (Kahoʻolawe has one count site). The lowest is 1, for Hawaiʻi Island in March. On every island with all three figures, March was the lowest or tied for lowest.

The 2009 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 31, February 28 and March 28. 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, 2009

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 2009 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 31	8	4	5	14	8	press release
February February 28	2	2	3	–*	2	press release
March March 28	2	2	1	9	–	press release

* Kahoʻolawe, February: the press release says "Cancelled due to inclement weather."

The January release states a statewide average of 8, while the 2010 report's 56 site values for that count average 4.84.

Headcount and sites reporting, 2009

What the 2009 press releases give for each count
Count	Headcount	Sites reporting
January	more than 650 volunteers	56
February	more than 650 volunteers	55
March	more than 500 volunteers	56

2009 averages by count site

The highest 2009 site value for a single count is 16.33, at Lapakahi State Historical Park on Hawaiʻi Island in January.

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, 2009: 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	8.56	1.11	3.22
2	Cliffs at Princeville	9.67	3.25	4.67
3	KPNWR-Kīlauea Lighthouse	7.11	4.6	5.89
4	KPNWR-Crater Hill	11.56	3.89	5.33
5	Kapaʻa Lookout	3.33	0.5	2.22
6	Ahukini State Recreation Pier	8.33	1.14	1.67
7	Ninini Lighthouse	6.33	0.22	0.88
8	Māhāʻulepū-Makauwahi Trail	6.67	2.33	1.33
9	Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi	6.56	2	0.67
10	Makahūʻena Point	14.78	2.33	1.33
11	Poʻipū Beach Park	6.33	2	1
12	Kaʻiwa Point	–	–	0.89
13	Port Allen Cemetery	2.44	2	0.67
14	Waimea Canyon Drive	–	–	–
15	Pacific Missile Range Facility	6.22	3.56	3

Oʻahu, 2009: 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	0.44	0.2	0.22
2	Ko ʻOlina	0.22	0.78	0.44
3	Māʻili Point	4.33	4.56	2.44
4	Mākua Cave	2.44	9	2.67
5	Kaʻena Point (West Shore)	1.44	1.78	2.56
6	Kaʻena Point (North Shore)	12.56	4.67	6
7	Mokulēʻia Beach Park	10.78	0	5.89
8	Puaʻena Point	2	0	0.22
9	Shark's Cove	9.22	0.33	10.44
10	Turtle Bay Resort	4.11	0.44	2.44
11	Lāʻie Point	3	2.78	2
12	Hauʻula Beach Park	0	0	0
13	Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers)	2	1.11	2.22
14	Pyramid Rock	–	–	–
15	Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook)	–	–	–
16	Lanikai	0.22	0	0.11
17	Waimānalo Beach Park	0.67	0	0
18	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	2	1	2
19	Hālona Blowhole	5.78	2.56	1.44
20	Lānaʻi Lookout	7.33	2.56	3.11
21	Hanauma Bay	5.44	1.56	1.89
22	Spitting Caves	4.33	3.33	2.11
23	Diamond Head	3.11	2.78	0.44
24	Magic Island	0.33	0	0.22
25	Kakaʻako Beach Park	0.78	2.22	0.44

Hawaiʻi Island, 2009: 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	1.33	0	0
2	Ka Lae Park	1.56	4.78	0
3	Miloliʻi Lookout	0.56	0	0
4	Hoʻokena Beach Park	0.33	0.11	0.56
5	Hōnaunau Lookout	0.44	0.11	0.67
6	Keauhou Scenic Lookout	1.22	1	0
7	Keāhole Point (OTEC)	3.78	1.11	0.56
8	Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort)	6.11	2.33	0.56
9	Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park	12.11	13.11	5.67
10	Mile Marker 7	10	7.78	–
11	Lapakahi State Historical Park	16.33	7	4.33
12	Kapaʻa Beach Park	7.33	5.33	2.22
13	Old Coast Guard Road	8.11	1	3.33
14	ʻUpolu Point	5.11	0.5	1.56
15	Waipiʻo Valley lookout	0	0	0
16	Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout	1.22	0	0
17	Onekahakaha Beach Park (Hilo Bay)	4.89	5.33	2
18	Kumukahi Lighthouse	–	0	–
19	Kehena Lookout	0.33	0	0
20	Kaʻena Point (Chain of Craters Road)	–	–	–
–	ʻŌʻōkala	1.11	0.22	0

Kahoʻolawe, 2009: 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	13.89	–	8.56

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 31 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, February 28 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, March 28 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet, January 31 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet, February 28 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet, March 28 (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.