On Hawaiʻi Island, the March Sanctuary Ocean Count average has been printed below one humpback whale per 15-minute count period in 7 of the 13 March counts on the results sheets we hold. It was printed as 0 in 2025 and 2026, although our sums of the site tables on those sheets give 0.39 and 0.49. The January and February medians there are 4 and 3.
We compiled 128 island averages from the results sheets of 40 counts, 2013 to 2026, and for earlier years the figures in the sanctuary’s press releases (2008 to 2012) and annual reports (2002 to 2004).
NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary runs the count and publishes a results sheet after each one. We are an independent site, not part of NOAA or the program. Current results sheets and press releases are on oceancount.org, and the older releases and reports survive as Internet Archive copies of the sanctuary’s former site. Registration for the next count happens only on oceancount.org.
Island averages on the results sheets, 2013 to 2026
Each dot is the figure the sanctuary printed for one island on one count day: the average number of whales seen per 15-minute count period. The highest figure on the results sheets is 8, on Kauaʻi in January 2015. Molokaʻi sites first appear on the sheets in 2024, so its panel is shorter.
The March 2020 count was canceled because of COVID-19. There is no figure for Molokaʻi in March 2026: after recent weather impacts, the sanctuary left Molokaʻi sites out of that count. We left out the February 2015 sheet’s averages: it prints 0 for every island, but its site tables show whales at most sites.
| Season | Kauaʻi Jan | Kauaʻi Feb | Kauaʻi Mar | Oʻahu Jan | Oʻahu Feb | Oʻahu Mar | Molokaʻi Jan | Molokaʻi Feb | Molokaʻi Mar | Hawaiʻi Jan | Hawaiʻi Feb | Hawaiʻi Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 2015 | 8 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 7 | – | 2 |
| 2016 | 6 | 3 | 0.78 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 0.45 |
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | 0.95 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | 0.5 | 5 | 0.5 |
| 2020 | 3.9 | 2.4 | – | 2.3 | 2.3 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – |
| 2021 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | – | – | – | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.17 |
| 2022 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 6.4 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.06 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 3.4 | 2 | 1.8 | 3.7 | – | – | – | 5 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | – | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Island figures before 2013: annual reports and press releases
The results sheets print island averages from 2013 on. For 2008 to 2012, the press releases state them in their text, and for 2002 to 2004 the sanctuary’s annual reports give an island mean with its standard error. For 2005 to 2007 no source we hold gives an island figure for any single count.
The sanctuary’s 2010 report gives the 2005 to 2007 counts site by site only, and we publish its per-site averages for 2002 to 2010 as a separate file. NOAA dates the first count to February 1996 on Oʻahu, while the 2002 report says the count had run every year since 1997. The 2000 and 2001 reports describe a different count method, so our files start in 2002.
The chart below puts all three kinds of figures on one timeline and marks each by its source. The annual reports print two decimals and the press releases whole numbers, so some of the step between 2004 and 2008 can be rounding. The reports also state their mean per site per 15-minute period, and none of the sources says exactly how it averages. The island-average chart and the January, February and March comparison on this page use the results sheets only.
March was already the quietest count on Hawaiʻi Island in the earlier sources: it has the lowest of the three figures in all eight seasons that have all three. Only one of those March figures is printed below 1: 0.97 in 2004, a season whose report calls its February and March results unreliable because of the weather. The releases print whole numbers and do not say how they round, so the 1s printed for March 2009, 2011 and 2012 may stand for averages below 1.
Kauaʻi in March 2002 and Oʻahu in March 2003 both print 2.21 with a standard error of 0.15, the same as Oʻahu in March 2002, so we read both as copy errors in the reports. We keep them as printed and flag them in the file. The 2010 report’s site values for those two counts average 3.00 and 1.60; our methods page has the comparison.
| Season | Source | Kauaʻi Jan | Kauaʻi Feb | Kauaʻi Mar | Oʻahu Jan | Oʻahu Feb | Oʻahu Mar | Molokaʻi Jan | Molokaʻi Feb | Molokaʻi Mar | Hawaiʻi Jan | Hawaiʻi Feb | Hawaiʻi Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | annual report | 2.93 | 5.70 | 2.21 | 1.26 | 2.48 | 2.21 | – | – | – | 4.02 | 6.72 | 2.64 |
| 2003 | annual report | 5.05 | 4.42 | 2.15 | 1.52 | 2.15 | 2.21 | – | – | – | 5.95 | 5.95 | 2.35 |
| 2004 | annual report | 4.90 | 4.31 | 2.32 | 2.07 | 1.92 | 2.52 | – | – | – | 3.16 | 1.89 | 0.97 |
| 2008 | press release | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2009 | press release | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010 | press release | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | – | – | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 | press release | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 2012 | press release | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | results sheet | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| 2014 | results sheet | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 2015 | results sheet | 8 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 7 | – | 2 |
| 2016 | results sheet | 6 | 3 | 0.78 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 0.45 |
| 2017 | results sheet | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2018 | results sheet | 3 | 2 | 0.95 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | results sheet | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 6 | 2 | – | – | – | 0.5 | 5 | 0.5 |
| 2020 | results sheet | 3.9 | 2.4 | – | 2.3 | 2.3 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – |
| 2021 | results sheet | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | – | – | – | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.17 |
| 2022 | results sheet | 4.9 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 6.4 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.06 |
| 2023 | results sheet | 1 | 1 | 3.4 | 2 | 1.8 | 3.7 | – | – | – | 5 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | results sheet | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | results sheet | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | results sheet | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | – | 4 | 3 | 0 |
January, February or March: which count has the highest island averages
March had the lowest island average of the season, or tied for lowest, in 31 of 38 island-seasons that have all three counts. January was the highest, or tied for highest, in 22, and February in 18. On Hawaiʻi Island the median falls from 3 in February to 0.5 in March, the lowest March median of any island.
If you can only join one count and want the best chance of whales in view from shore, pick January or February. On every island, both months have a higher median than March from 2013 to 2026.
| Island | Month | Seasons | Median | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kauaʻi | January | 14 | 4.45 | 1 | 8 |
| Kauaʻi | February | 13 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Kauaʻi | March | 13 | 2 | 0.78 | 4 |
| Oʻahu | January | 14 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
| Oʻahu | February | 13 | 3 | 1.5 | 6 |
| Oʻahu | March | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3.7 |
| Molokaʻi | January | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Molokaʻi | February | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Molokaʻi | March | 2 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 |
| Hawaiʻi | January | 14 | 4 | 0.5 | 7 |
| Hawaiʻi | February | 13 | 3 | 1.5 | 7 |
| Hawaiʻi | March | 13 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 |
The busiest 15 minutes of a count morning
The press releases name the 15-minute period with the most whales across all Ocean Count sites. In 20 of the 26 counts where they give an Ocean Count figure, that period started before 9:30 am. The 8:30 to 8:45 am period was busiest 12 times. The latest was the 11:30 to 11:45 am period, once, in January 2013.
The figure adds up whales across 29 to 60 sites, so it is no guide to any single lookout. Count periods start every half hour, which means a whale that surfaces at 8:50 am falls between periods. Registered volunteers should be at their site before 8 am, when the first period begins.
| Count date | Busiest period | Whales in that period |
|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-26 | 11:30–11:45 am | 267 |
| 2013-02-23 | 9:00–9:15 am | 287 |
| 2013-03-30 | 8:30–8:45 am | 194 |
| 2014-01-25 | 8:30–8:45 am | 253 |
| 2014-02-22 | 9:30–9:45 am | 297 |
| 2014-03-29 | 9:00–9:15 am | 165 |
| 2015-01-31 | 8:30–8:45 am | 354 |
| 2015-03-28 | 9:30–9:45 am | 160 |
| 2019-01-26 | 8:30–8:45 am | 96 |
| 2019-02-23 | 8:30–8:45 am | 278 |
| 2019-03-30 | 9:00–9:15 am | 73 |
| 2020-01-25 | 8:30–8:45 am | 148 |
| 2020-02-29 | 8:30–8:45 am | 138 |
| 2021-01-30 | 9:00–9:15 am | 125 |
| 2021-02-27 | 9:00–9:15 am | 83 |
| 2021-03-27 | 9:30–9:45 am | 83 |
| 2022-01-29 | 8:30–8:45 am | 163 |
| 2022-02-26 | 9:00–9:15 am | 135 |
| 2022-03-26 | 10:00–10:15 am | 93 |
| 2023-01-28 | 9:00–9:15 am | 75 |
| 2023-02-25 | 8:30–8:45 am | 77 |
| 2023-03-25 | 8:30–8:45 am | 117 |
| 2024-01-27 | 9:00–9:15 am | 174 |
| 2024-03-30 | 8:30–8:45 am | 76 |
| 2025-01-25 | 10:00–10:15 am | 183 |
| 2025-03-29 | 8:30–8:45 am | 52 |
Headcounts and reporting sites per count
From January 2021 to February 2022, during COVID-19, the program ran without public volunteers, and trained site leaders counted alone or in pairs: between 68 and 87 people per count across both programs. Ocean Count sites kept reporting, 30 to 33 per count, against 39 to 43 in 2019 and 2020, the seasons just before.
The 21 headcounts from 2008 to 2015 are Ocean Count volunteers only, and the largest was more than 950, on January 28, 2012. From 2019, 22 of 23 headcounts also cover Pacific Whale Foundation’s Great Whale Count, held the same morning on Maui, and on Lānaʻi from 2024. The largest of those was more than 650 volunteers across both counts, on February 29, 2020. We hold no releases for 2016 to 2018.
The site numbers in both periods are Ocean Count sites only, so they can be compared across the break. From 2008 to 2015, the releases give 55 to 62 reporting sites per count.
| Count date | People | Who | Includes Great Whale Count | Ocean Count sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-01-26 | more than 600 | volunteers | no | 56 |
| 2008-02-23 | more than 700 | volunteers | no | 57 |
| 2008-03-29 | more than 500 | volunteers | no | 58 |
| 2009-01-31 | more than 650 | volunteers | no | 56 |
| 2009-02-28 | more than 650 | volunteers | no | 55 |
| 2009-03-28 | more than 500 | volunteers | no | 56 |
| 2010-01-30 | more than 800 | volunteers | no | 59 |
| 2011-01-29 | more than 900 | volunteers | no | 62 |
| 2011-02-26 | more than 800 | volunteers | no | 62 |
| 2011-03-26 | more than 570 | volunteers | no | 60 |
| 2012-01-28 | more than 950 | volunteers | no | 61 |
| 2012-02-25 | more than 800 | volunteers | no | 58 |
| 2012-03-31 | more than 570 | volunteers | no | 57 |
| 2013-01-26 | more than 800 | volunteers | no | 59 |
| 2013-02-23 | more than 650 | volunteers | no | 57 |
| 2013-03-30 | about 600 | volunteers | no | 60 |
| 2014-01-25 | more than 800 | volunteers | no | 60 |
| 2014-02-22 | about 900 | volunteers | no | 58 |
| 2014-03-29 | more than 500 | volunteers | no | 58 |
| 2015-01-31 | more than 850 | volunteers | no | 58 |
| 2015-03-28 | more than 600 | volunteers | no | 57 |
| 2019-01-26 | more than 572 | volunteers | yes | 39 |
| 2019-02-23 | more than 612 | volunteers | yes | 43 |
| 2019-03-30 | more than 430 | volunteers | yes | 42 |
| 2020-01-25 | more than 550 | volunteers | yes | 41 |
| 2020-02-29 | more than 650 | volunteers | yes | 39 |
| 2021-01-30 | 68 | site leaders | yes | 31 |
| 2021-02-27 | 72 | site leaders | yes | 30 |
| 2021-03-27 | 68 | site leaders | yes | 30 |
| 2022-01-29 | 87 | site leaders | yes | 33 |
| 2022-02-26 | 81 | site leaders | yes | 32 |
| 2022-03-26 | 241 | volunteers | yes | 32 |
| 2023-01-28 | 264 | volunteers | no | 29 |
| 2023-02-25 | 345 | volunteers | yes | 30 |
| 2023-03-25 | 320 | volunteers | yes | 30 |
| 2024-01-27 | 402 | volunteers | yes | 32 |
| 2024-02-24 | 463 | volunteers | yes | not given |
| 2024-03-30 | 424 | volunteers | yes | 34 |
| 2025-01-25 | 429 | volunteers | yes | 30 |
| 2025-02-22 | 498 | volunteers | yes | not given |
| 2025-03-29 | 363 | volunteers | yes | 29 |
| 2026-01-31 | 433 | volunteers | yes | not given |
| 2026-02-28 | 487 | volunteers | yes | not given |
| 2026-03-28 | 310 | volunteers | yes | not given |
Site tables on the results sheets, 2007 to 2026
Besides the island averages, the results sheets print a table for each island: adults and calves at every site in every 15-minute period. Our file has them for the 59 counts from 2007 to 2026. The 2012 to 2014 and 2026 sheets print their tables as text; the other 47 counts, from 2007 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2025, print them as images, and we typed those in by hand.
Our sums of the typed tables reproduce the sheet’s island average in 90 of the 99 tables outside the February 2015 sheet, whose averages print 0 for every island, and the press release’s day total in 24 of 33. Leaving out the four cells we read as misprints raises the averages to 93; reading them at the corrected values raises the day totals to 28. Our methods page lists every table where our sums and the sources disagree.
The 2007 to 2011 sheets print no island averages. For 2008 to 2011 the press releases do, as whole numbers, and the averages we compute from our cells match them in 39 of 40 tables.
Every cell is in one file on the download page. The site figures on our count sites pages and season pages are computed from it.
Using these numbers
The island average is built from whales seen from shore and does not estimate how many whales are in Hawaiian waters. It changes with the weather and with the number of sites that report. Our methods page explains what the average measures, which years were printed with decimals, how the 2002 to 2010 reports were counted and checked, and how to cite the data.
The download page has nine Ocean Count CSV files: three of island averages (from the results sheets, the press releases and the annual reports), the per-count summary from the press releases, the 2010 report’s per-site averages for 2002 to 2010, every site and period on the results sheets from 2007 to 2026, Kahoʻolawe’s 15-minute counts from the 2003 and 2004 reports, and the 2010 report’s behavior and calf tables. A tenth file holds the Great Whale Count figures for Maui and Lānaʻi, and a data dictionary covers all ten.