Sanctuary Ocean Count 2012 results by island and site

The highest island figure for 2012 is 8 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Kauaʻi in January. The lowest is 1, for Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island in March. On every island with all three figures, March was the lowest or tied for lowest.

The 2012 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 28, February 25 and March 31. We list the island averages stated in the press releases, and each site’s average per count, computed from the sheets’ site tables.

Island figures, 2012

The press releases print whole numbers and don’t say how they round.

Island figures for the 2012 counts: average whales per site per 15-minute count period, as printed (– means no figure)
Count	Kauaʻi	Oʻahu	Hawaiʻi Island	Source
January January 28	8	2	3	press release
February February 25	4	4	2	press release
March March 31	1	1	1	press release

Headcount and sites reporting, 2012

What the 2012 press releases give for each count
Count	Headcount	Sites reporting
January	more than 950 volunteers	61
February	more than 800 volunteers	58
March	more than 570 volunteers	57

2012 averages by count site

The highest 2012 site value for a single count is 17.44, at Mile Marker 7 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.

Kauaʻi, 2012: 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	8.89	5.67	2.67
2	Cliffs at Princeville	4	2.44	0.89
3	KPNWR-Kīlauea Lighthouse	11.56	4	4.78
4	KPNWR-Crater Hill	13.33	3.78	1.67
5	Kapaʻa Lookout	7.89	2.56	0.56
6	Ahukini State Recreation Pier	3.67	1.11	1
7	Ninini Lighthouse	13.67	4	2
8	Māhāʻulepū-Makauwahi Trail	–	–	–
9	Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi	11.44	7.56	0.44
10	Makahūʻena Point	11.56	14.89	0.56
11	Poʻipū Beach Park	3.56	5.89	0.11
12	Kaʻiwa Point	6.11	–	–
13	Port Allen Cemetery	6.44	3	0.44
14	Waimea Canyon Drive	3	1.89	–
15	Pacific Missile Range Facility	1.22	1.12	0.11

Oʻahu, 2012: 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	0.11
2	Ko ʻOlina	1.22	2.67	0
3	Māʻili Point	3.78	6.33	1.89
4	Mākua Cave	3.33	0.78	1.44
5	Kaʻena Point (West Shore)	2.44	0.44	0.56
6	Kaʻena Point (North Shore)	2.44	3.75	1.62
7	Mokulēʻia Beach Park	1.56	5.56	0.89
8	Puaʻena Point	0.44	3.89	4.89
9	Shark's Cove	4.78	10.67	5.22
10	Turtle Bay Resort	1.44	4.67	1.22
11	Lāʻie Point	3.11	6.78	1
12	Hauʻula Beach Park	0	–	–
13	Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers)	4.11	4.12	1.44
14	Pyramid Rock	5.22	5.86	0
15	Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook)	2.33	2.78	1
16	Lanikai	1.33	1.44	0
17	Waimānalo Beach Park	0.22	1	0
18	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	1.78	5	0.11
19	Hālona Blowhole	4.89	5.67	0.67
20	Lānaʻi Lookout	2.89	5.44	0.67
21	Hanauma Bay	3.44	6	0
22	Spitting Caves	1.89	3.89	0.11
23	Diamond Head	3.22	3.78	1
24	Magic Island	0	0.33	0.22
25	Kakaʻako Beach Park	0.22	0.11	1.44
26	Kahe Point	2.67	–	–

Hawaiʻi Island, 2012: 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	1.67	–	0
2	Ka Lae Park	1.56	0.78	0.11
3	Miloliʻi Lookout	1.33	0	0
4	Hoʻokena Beach Park	0.33	0.33	0
5	Hōnaunau Lookout	0.44	0.56	0
6	Keauhou Scenic Lookout	1.89	0	0
7	Keāhole Point (OTEC)	1.56	0.22	0
8	Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort)	5.11	6.22	0
9	Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park	10.11	7.67	2.22
10	Mile Marker 7	17.44	7.78	2.44
11	Lapakahi State Historical Park	12.22	5.89	5.67
12	Kapaʻa Beach Park	4.67	3.67	1.78
13	Old Coast Guard Road	3.56	3.78	0.44
14	ʻUpolu Point	1	2.88	0.67
15	Waipiʻo Valley lookout	–	–	0
16	Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout	0.56	0	0.33
17	Onekahakaha Beach Park (Hilo Bay)	3.75	1.44	0
18	Kumukahi Lighthouse	0	0	0
19	Kehena Lookout	0	0	0
20	Kaʻena Point (Chain of Craters Road)	0.33	0.11	0
21	Hawaiian Paradise Park	1.89	0	0
–	ʻŌʻōkala	1.33	0.44	0

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 28 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, February 25 (Internet Archive copy)
Press release, March 31 (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet with site table (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet with site table (Internet Archive copy)
Results sheet with site table (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.