Sanctuary Ocean Count 2019 results by island and site

The highest island figure for 2019 is 6 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Oʻahu in February. The lowest is 0.5, for Hawaiʻi Island in January and March. March was the lowest or tied for lowest of the three figures on Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island, but not on Oʻahu.

The 2019 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 26, February 23 and March 30. We list the island averages from the preliminary results sheets, and each site’s average per count, computed from the sheets’ site tables.

Island figures, 2019

Each results sheet is titled “Sanctuary Ocean Count Preliminary Data”.

Island figures for the 2019 counts: average whales per site per 15-minute count period, as printed (– means no figure)
Count	Kauaʻi	Oʻahu	Hawaiʻi Island	Source
January January 26	3	1.5	0.5	results sheet
February February 23	5	6	5	results sheet
March March 30	1	2	0.5	results sheet

Headcount and busiest period, 2019

What the 2019 press releases give for each count
Count	Headcount	Sites reporting	Busiest period	Whales in busiest period
January	more than 572 volunteers †	39	8:30 am–8:45 am	96
February	more than 612 volunteers †	43	8:30 am–8:45 am	278
March	more than 430 volunteers †	42	9:00 am–9:15 am	73

† The headcount includes Pacific Whale Foundation's Great Whale Count on Maui, held on the same mornings.

2019 averages by count site

The highest 2019 site value for a single count is 12.78, at Turtle Bay Resort on Oʻahu 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, 2019: 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	–	–	–
2	Cliffs at Princeville	4.33	9.78	1.56
3	KPNWR-Kīlauea Lighthouse	–	5	0.22
4	KPNWR-Crater Hill	–	7.33	0.33
5	Kapaʻa Lookout	2.22	4.11	0.44
6	Ahukini State Recreation Pier	0.22	0.22	0
7	Ninini Lighthouse	1.67	1.11	0
8	Māhāʻulepū-Makauwahi Trail	–	–	–
9	Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi	6.67	10.33	0.89
10	Makahūʻena Point	5.22	9	1.89
11	Poʻipū Beach Park	2.89	5	1.67
12	Kaʻiwa Point	3.22	1.89	2.11
13	Port Allen Cemetery	5	2.22	2.56
14	Waimea Canyon Drive	–	–	–
15	Pacific Missile Range Facility	0.89	4.11	1.22

Oʻahu, 2019: 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	–	–	–
2	Ko ʻOlina	0.33	1.89	0
3	Māʻili Point	1.11	0	0.78
4	Mākua Cave	2.11	4	0.44
5	Kaʻena Point (West Shore)	1.33	2.89	2.11
6	Kaʻena Point (North Shore)	–	–	–
7	Mokulēʻia Beach Park	0.78	7.56	1.22
8	Puaʻena Point	–	–	–
9	Shark's Cove	1.33	11	6.11
10	Turtle Bay Resort	0.44	12.78	4.44
11	Lāʻie Point	2.89	5.78	1
12	Hauʻula Beach Park	–	–	–
13	Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers)	2.44	6.33	0.67
14	Pyramid Rock	0.56	12	2.56
15	Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook)	2.33	11	1.89
16	Lanikai	0.56	5.22	0.56
17	Waimānalo Beach Park	–	–	–
18	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	0.78	8.22	4.89
19	Hālona Blowhole	–	–	–
20	Lānaʻi Lookout	2.89	6.11	5.44
21	Hanauma Bay	–	–	–
22	Spitting Caves	2.11	7.44	2.67
23	Diamond Head	1.67	6.78	1
24	Magic Island	–	0.33	0
25	Kakaʻako Beach Park	–	–	–
26	Kahe Point	2	2	0

Hawaiʻi Island, 2019: 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	1.33	0
2	Ka Lae Park	0.33	3.89	0
3	Miloliʻi Lookout	–	–	–
4	Hoʻokena Beach Park	0	0.22	0
5	Hōnaunau Lookout	0	3.33	0
6	Keauhou Scenic Lookout	–	–	–
7	Keāhole Point (OTEC)	1.22	1.56	0.22
8	Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort)	0.44	5.56	0
9	Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park	0.67	12	2.33
10	Mile Marker 7	3.5	12.25	0.62
11	Lapakahi State Historical Park	–	–	–
12	Kapaʻa Beach Park	1.89	8.33	1.11
13	Old Coast Guard Road	2	11.11	2.11
14	ʻUpolu Point	–	–	–
15	Waipiʻo Valley lookout	–	–	–
16	Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout	–	–	–
17	Onekahakaha Beach Park (Hilo Bay)	0	0.56	0.11
18	Kumukahi Lighthouse	–	–	–
19	Kehena Lookout	0.67	0.67	0
20	Kaʻena Point (Chain of Craters Road)	–	–	–
21	Hawaiian Paradise Park	–	1.33	0.44

Sources

We link to each document rather than copy it.

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.