Sanctuary Ocean Count 2015 results by island and site

The highest island figure for 2015 is 8 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Kauaʻi in January. The lowest is 2, for Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island in March.

The 2015 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 31, February 28 and March 28. We list the island averages from the preliminary results sheets, and each site’s average per count, computed from the sheets’ site tables.

We leave out the February results sheet’s island averages: it prints 0 for every island, but its site tables show whales at most sites; the site values below use those tables.

Island figures, 2015

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

Island figures for the 2015 counts: average whales per site per 15-minute count period, as printed (– means no figure)
Count	Kauaʻi	Oʻahu	Hawaiʻi Island	Source
January January 31	8	4	7	results sheet
February February 28 (averages not used)	–	–	–	–
March March 28	2	3	2	results sheet

Headcount and busiest period, 2015

What the 2015 press releases give for each count
Count	Headcount	Sites reporting	Busiest period	Whales in busiest period
January	more than 850 volunteers	58	8:30 am–8:45 am	354
March	more than 600 volunteers	57	9:30 am–9:45 am	160

2015 averages by count site

The highest 2015 site value for a single count is 20.62, 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. The sheets print these tables as images, and we typed them in by hand.

Kauaʻi, 2015: 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	3.33	0	3.89
2	Cliffs at Princeville	6	3.5	3.56
3	KPNWR-Kīlauea Lighthouse	6.89	9.22	4.56
4	KPNWR-Crater Hill	10	10	2.78
5	Kapaʻa Lookout	6.11	5.33	4.78
6	Ahukini State Recreation Pier	6.56	3.78	0.78
7	Ninini Lighthouse	6.89	5.78	1.11
8	Māhāʻulepū-Makauwahi Trail	12.78	5.56	0.56
9	Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi	11.78	6.44	1.33
10	Makahūʻena Point	9.78	6.56	2.11
11	Poʻipū Beach Park	9.44	6	1.33
12	Kaʻiwa Point	10.33	6.22	0.89
13	Port Allen Cemetery	5.78	3.56	1.67
14	Waimea Canyon Drive	5.11	1.33	0
15	Pacific Missile Range Facility	3.89	6	1.89

Oʻahu, 2015: 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	1.89	0.44	0
3	Māʻili Point	4.89	3.89	0.33
4	Mākua Cave	3.11	5.78	0.22
5	Kaʻena Point (West Shore)	3.11	4.67	0.56
6	Kaʻena Point (North Shore)	7.11	4.4	2.33
7	Mokulēʻia Beach Park	1.89	–	–
8	Puaʻena Point	0.89	4.33	4.86
9	Shark's Cove	3.78	5.78	5.44
10	Turtle Bay Resort	1.56	10.56	5.67
11	Lāʻie Point	2.67	5.56	2
12	Hauʻula Beach Park	–	–	–
13	Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers)	3.22	–	2.67
14	Pyramid Rock	2.22	3	1.75
15	Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook)	3.22	3.67	2.11
16	Lanikai	0.78	–	3
17	Waimānalo Beach Park	2	2	1
18	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	9.33	10.56	3.89
19	Hālona Blowhole	8.78	5.88	3.89
20	Lānaʻi Lookout	4.56	4.89	3.56
21	Hanauma Bay	6.56	5.44	4.56
22	Spitting Caves	3.22	10.44	3.33
23	Diamond Head	4.22	6.89	5
24	Magic Island	–	0.44	0.78
25	Kakaʻako Beach Park	0.67	0.11	0.67
26	Kahe Point	2.33	0.56	0

Hawaiʻi Island, 2015: 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	4.56	1.56	0
2	Ka Lae Park	12	6.89	1.22
3	Miloliʻi Lookout	–	–	–
4	Hoʻokena Beach Park	–	–	–
5	Hōnaunau Lookout	0	1	0
6	Keauhou Scenic Lookout	5.44	1.33	0.78
7	Keāhole Point (OTEC)	0.67	2.11	2
8	Hualālai (Four Seasons Resort)	9.89	10	1.44
9	Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park	17	19.67	9.56
10	Mile Marker 7	20.62	13.38	8.12
11	Lapakahi State Historical Park	12.22	7.89	7.22
12	Kapaʻa Beach Park	7.89	9.56	4.33
13	Old Coast Guard Road	7.11	6.78	3.89
14	ʻUpolu Point	6.44	5	1.57
15	Waipiʻo Valley lookout	3.11	7	0.56
16	Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout	–	0.33	0
17	Onekahakaha Beach Park (Hilo Bay)	6.44	5	0.89
18	Kumukahi Lighthouse	1	0.33	0.22
19	Kehena Lookout	2.11	3	0
20	Kaʻena Point (Chain of Craters Road)	4.67	2.56	0.33
21	Hawaiian Paradise Park	6.22	1.67	1.89

Sources

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

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