The highest island figure for 2025 is 6 whales per site per 15-minute period, for Hawaiʻi Island in January and Molokaʻi in February. The lowest is 0, for Hawaiʻi Island in March; the sheet prints whole numbers, and our recount from its site table gives 0.39. On every island with all three figures, March was the lowest or tied for lowest.
The 2025 Sanctuary Ocean Count ran on three Saturday mornings: January 25, February 22 and March 29. 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, 2025
Each results sheet is titled “Sanctuary Ocean Count Preliminary Data”.
| Count | Kauaʻi | Oʻahu | Molokaʻi | Hawaiʻi Island | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January January 25 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | results sheet |
| February February 22 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | results sheet |
| March March 29 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | results sheet |
Headcount and busiest period, 2025
| Count | Headcount | Sites reporting | Busiest period | Whales in busiest period | Day total Kauaʻi | Day total Oʻahu | Day total Molokaʻi | Day total Hawaiʻi Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 429 volunteers † | 30 | 10:00 am–10:15 am | 183 | 440 | 399 | 87 | 493 |
| February | 498 volunteers † | – | – | – | 321 | 408 | 153 | 263 |
| March | 363 volunteers † | 29 | 8:30 am–8:45 am | 52 | 122 | 220 | 11 | 28 |
† The headcount includes Pacific Whale Foundation's Great Whale Count on Maui and Lānaʻi, held on the same mornings.
Day totals add up every whale reported during the morning, so one whale can be counted more than once.
The release's Molokaʻi day total for March 29, 11, covers Kalaupapa Lookout only; the sheet also prints Sandy's, for 50 in all.
2025 averages by count site
The highest 2025 site value for a single count is 20.78, at Puʻukoholā Heiau National 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.
| No. | Site | January | February | March |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cliffs at Princeville | – | 2.67 | 0.67 |
| 4 | KPNWR-Crater Hill | 9 | 6.44 | 4.67 |
| 5 | Kapaʻa Lookout | 8.22 | 2.56 | 3.56 |
| 6 | Ahukini State Recreation Pier | 2.67 | 2.22 | 0.67 |
| 7 | Ninini Lighthouse | 7.25 | 2.44 | 0.22 |
| 9 | Māhāʻulepū-Makawehi | 6.22 | 5.44 | 1.33 |
| 10 | Makahūʻena Point | 6.33 | 5.78 | 1.78 |
| 11 | Poʻipū Beach Park | 4.11 | 2.67 | 0.22 |
| 13 | Port Allen Cemetery | 1.11 | 0.78 | 0.33 |
| 15 | Pacific Missile Range Facility | 4.78 | 4.67 | 0.11 |
| No. | Site | January | February | March |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Mākua Cave | 4.67 | 2.78 | 0.22 |
| 5 | Kaʻena Point (West Shore) | 3.78 | 2.33 | 0.11 |
| 7 | Mokulēʻia Beach Park | – | 3.11 | – |
| 11 | Lāʻie Point | 2.67 | 1.67 | 0.89 |
| 13 | Kualoa Ranch (Bunkers) | 3.67 | 1.56 | 3.78 |
| 14 | Pyramid Rock | 1.78 | 6.22 | 2.78 |
| 15 | Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook) ¶ | 4.29 | 2.89 | 2.67 |
| 16 | Lanikai | 1.22 | 0.89 | 0 |
| 19 | Hālona Blowhole | 4.67 | 9 | 6.56 |
| 20 | Lānaʻi Lookout | 8.33 | 8.22 | 4.67 |
| 22 | Spitting Caves | 7 | 6.67 | 2.78 |
| No. | Site | January | February | March |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaiaka Rock/Kaula Ili Way Kaluakoʻi | 2.75 | 6.22 | – |
| 2 | Sandy’s | 7.22 | 8.12 | 4.88 |
| 3 | Kalaupapa Lookout/Palaʻau State Park | – | 3.56 | 1.22 |
| No. | Site | January | February | March |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Hoʻokena Beach Park | 1.11 | 0.33 | – |
| 5 | Hōnaunau Lookout | 0.44 | 0.11 | 0 |
| 6 | Keauhou Scenic Lookout | 4.22 | 2.78 | 0 |
| 7 | Keāhole Point (OTEC) | 4.44 | 2.11 | 0 |
| 9 | Puʻukoholā Heiau National Park | 20.78 | 9.33 | 1.78 |
| 10 | Mile Marker 7 | 12.22 | – | 0 |
| 11 | Lapakahi State Historical Park | – | 6.11 | – |
| 12 | Kapaʻa Beach Park | 6.33 | 3 | 0.33 |
| 13 | Old Coast Guard Road | 4.67 | 5.22 | 0 |
| 21 | Hawaiian Paradise Park | 0.56 | 0.22 | 1 |
¶ We leave the January 25 cell for Mōkapu Point (Monument Point Overlook) at 11:00 am, printed 117/3, out of its site’s average as a probable misprint. A cell of 29 whales reproduces the release's day total (399) and the printed average (4).
Sources
We link to each document rather than copy it.
- Results sheet, January 25
- Press release, January 25
- Results sheet, February 22
- Press release, February 22
- Results sheet, March 29
- Press release, March 29
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.