Maui Style LivingMaui. The Hawaiian Islands. Humpback W. National Ma r Sa. 26 real estate maui style

Transcription

1 Maui Style LivingMaui The Hawaiian Islands Humpback W National Ma r Sa 26 real estate maui style

2 Whale rine a nctuary By Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez D o you know what Head Lunge is? How about a Pec slap? If you do, you ve probably been a visitor to one of Maui s quiet but vital treasures, The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary located in Kihei in South Maui. Both of the terms used above relate to behavior of the humpback whale and research on whale behavior is one of the missions of the sanctuary, along with educating the public to the results and implications of that research. For the record, the Head Lunge is a competitive display in which the humpback whale lunges forward with its head raised in the water. A Pec real estate maui style 27

3 Maui Style LivingMaui The Blue Building in Kihei is a well-known landmark for marine conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NO AA in a dilapidated condition and required much renovation by dedicated volunteers. Slap occurs when a humpback whale slaps the surface of the water with one or both fins simultaneously. This may be a communication signal to other whales. An adult humpback whale takes a breath only about every minutes, but can remain submerged for as long as 45-minutes. Baby whales, called calves, must rise to the surface every 3 5 minutes. Congress established the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary on November 4, 1992, to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawai i. Humpback whales can be seen in Hawai i s near shore waters during the winter. With the approval of Hawai i s governor, the sanc-tuary was fully designated in 1997, according to information provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has been managing marine sanctuaries since the 1972 passage of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine sanctuary allows government to work collectively with interested citizens as they seek to protect the breeding and calving range of the largest North Pacific population of humpback whales. The sanctuary spans 1,370 square miles of coastal waters adjacent to the main Hawaiian Islands, the sanctuary extends 28 real estate maui style

4 increasing public awareness, scientific research, an appreciation of our marine heritage, monitoring, educational programs and outreach are efforts undertaken by the NMSP to fulfill its mission of protecting and preserving America s ocean and Great Lakes treasures. Sanctuaries are living classrooms; they provide food, shelter and a nursery area for marine life. They contain places to enjoy the beauty of nature and support science that seeks to discover a marine world that contains mysteries, surprises and an environment vital to our economy, our health and our survival. Sanctuaries are natural laboratories for scientists, students and others to learn about ocean currents, biodiversity, and marine and coastal ecosystems. With their goal of long-term protection, the marine sanctuary can provide clues as to the overall health of the ocean and how it is being affected by various human and environmental impacts. The NMSP which began as a single sanctuary, originally designated as a historic monument, has evolved into a system that in addition to its scientific, cultural and educational activities is also important to local economies, such as Maui s where tens thousands of visitors come each year to see the whales, spending millions of dollars in the process. Warm, Shallow, Waters Provide an Important Habitat O AA) gave the building to the sanctuary program in Then, it was out from the shoreline to the 600-foot depth and consists of submerged lands and waters off portions of Kaua i, O ahu, Moloka i, Lana i, Maui and Hawai i. National Marine Sanctuary Program The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) consists of 14 marine protected areas encompassing over 150,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from the state of Washington to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa, as well as the Hawaiian Islands. Long-term conservation, It has been estimated that two-thirds of the entire North Pacific humpback whale population migrates to Hawaiian waters each winter. There they engage in breeding, calving and nursing activities. The warm, shallow waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands makes up one of the world s most important humpback whale habitats. Key species within the sanctuary include the humpback whale, the spinner dolphin, the Hawaiian monk seal, the false killer whale, the green sea turtle, reef fish and coral. Key habitats are humpback whale breeding, calving and nursing grounds, coral reefs and sandy substrate. The continued protection of humpback whales and their habitat is considered critical to the long-term recovery of this endangered species. To protect marine life the NMSP uses a blend of non-regulatory and regulatory programs. Regulations are used to manage certain activities real estate maui style 29

5 Maui Style LivingMaui Nancy Daschbach (left), Acting Facilities Manager of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, visits with 8-year volunteer Shelia Ople of Kihei. Volunteers Shelia Ople and Ron Walsh (in blue shirts) answer a question from what may be a potential marine scientist. In addition to drop-ins, a steady stream of children participate each year in educational programs at the Sanctuary in partnership with various schools and other youth-serving programs. 30 real estate maui style Support the Sanctuary Here are 6 things you can do to help support the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the National Marine Sanctuary Program: 1. Get educated and share your knowledge. Go to 2. Volunteer at the Maui sanctuary location or with other organizations that work to protect coastal and marine habitats. Go to whale.noaa.gov. Volunteers are key to meeting the mission of the sanctuary. 3. Be aware of your own environment. Keep litter, used motor oil, antifreeze, toxic chemicals, pesticides and debris out of drains. Conserve water. 4. Use natural organic alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides on lawns and gardens. 5. Treat the ocean with care. Enjoy the ocean and shoreline but remember that this area is a fragile home to many plants and animals. 6. Support programs that encourage sound environmental practices. to protect sanctuary resources. While the NMSP seeks to use educational approaches to enhance compliance with sanctuary regulations there are regulations typical for sanctuaries that in general include prohibiting: Discharging material or other matter into a sanctuary; Disturbance of, construction on, or alteration of the seabed; Disturbance of cultural resources; and Exploring for, developing, or producing oil, gas, or minerals. In addition, some sanctuaries restrict or prohibit activities in certain areas or zones such as personalized motor craft (such as on Maui in the months the whales are here), anchoring of vessels, and taking marine life. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary The sanctuary serves as a laboratory for natural scientists seeking to better understand Hawai i s marine resources. The sanctuary supports whale research and monitoring projects such as SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpback Whales) which has just completed 5 field seasons of collecting information on North Pacific humpback whales and has now moved to the data analysis phase. The SPLASH project was conducted from

6 2004 to 2006 and to date, over 10,000 individual humpback whales have been identified and over 5,000 skin samples have been collected and await analysis. As data continues to be analyzed, a greater understanding of humpback whales in the North Pacific is expected to emerge. The SPLASH project represents the largest and most complex examination of humpback whale migrations in the world and has revealed a far more complex pattern of movements than had been previously documented. The region studied included: Asian wintering areas, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, Central America, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Western Gulf of Alaska, Southeast Alaska including the East Gulf, Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, and Western North Pacific waters off Russia. The project involved over fifty research groups and over 300 researchers, the governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico, and several academic and non-governmental organizations. The sanctuary also conducts projects to foster public awareness of sanctuary programs and to promote ocean stewardship. Educator and student workshops, community lectures, shore-based whale watches, volunteer A humpback whale breaching off the coast of Maui The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has been at its present location at 726 South Kihei Road since The sign tells potential visitors that the Sanctuary is open as it continues with its renovation and modernization program. real estate maui style 31

7 Maui Style LivingMaui The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (continued from page 31) Nearly completed at the Sanctuary is a new multipurpose building that is part of a comprehensive plan for the NOAA campus on Maui. Kihei campus facilities are expected to play a key strategic role in meeting the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) mission requirements in science, education, outreach and enforcement. and naturalist training sessions, and sanctuary publications make information about humpback whales and their habit in Hawai i widely available to the public. On Maui, the sanctuary education program is a beachfront facility with year round exhibits and programs. Cultural Activities The sanctuary supports activities to restore the Ko ie ie Fishpond that is adjacent to the sanctuary headquarters next to Kalepolepo Park in South Maui. The Ko ie ie Fishpond projects seeks to revitilize and preserve the fishpond so that future generations can enjoy its historical, cultural, archaeological, educational and recreational purposes. Kalepolepo was home to the Hawaiian historian David Malo. He wrote about Hawaiian culture and established a church whose ruins still exist today. John Halstead built his famous Koa house near the location and it served as a major trading post. Kalepolepo at one time was productive fishing village. Ko ie ie was built at least 500 years ago, but its foundation is still firm today. It is listed on the National and State of Hawai i Registers of Historic Places. Over 2,000 students visit the fishpond annually. The site has been designated as a Maui site for students to engage in a Living Classroom through Project Kahea Loko, designed to highlight fishponds as learning tools for standard education. It has been recorded that Kamehameha the Great ordered over 10,000 of his subjects to gather and repair the collapsing wall of the fishpond one stone at a time. Such was the importance of sustainable fishponds for feeding the Hawaiian people and providing a source of protein in their diet. A community support group, Ao ao O Na Loko I a O Maui, was formed in 1996 to rebuild the deteriorating wall of the Ko ie ie Fishpond and the organization is leading a revitalization of the Hawaiian culture by rebuilding the wall of Ko ie ie. The site is a cultural treasure. In addition to Hawaiian practitioners, and hula halau (hula schools) that conduct cultural protocol ceremonies there, one can see local fisherman fishing with nets much as earlier Hawaiians did in a time gone by. To learn more about the Ko ie ie Fishpond and how you can help in its restoration contact 76 real estate maui style

8 Ao ao O Na Loko l a O Maui at P.O. Box 1371, Kihei, Hawai i 96753, or call (808) The website is and the address is koieie@mauifishpond.com. Whale Watching An estimated 5,000 humpback whales make the journey to the Hawaiian Islands with the peak season from December to April. The current population is estimated to be 7,000 in the North Pacific and this endangered species is making slow progress toward its pre-whaling population of 15,000 to 20,000 whales. Unless authorized by a valid Federal and state research permit; it is unlawful for any person to: Approach by any means, within 100 yards of any humpback whale; Cause a vessel or other object to approach any humpback whale; Operate any aircraft within 1,000 feet of any humpback whale; Disrupt the normal behavior or prior activity of a humpback whale. If you see or encounter a stranded, injured, A fisherman stands upon stones laid by community volunteers that will eventually lead to the restoration of the Ko ie ie Fishpond located next to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary at Kalepolepo Park in North Kihei. sick or entangled marine mammal call (888) , NOAA Fisheries. For disturbance or harassment of marine mammals call (800) , NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. Never approach an entangled or injured marine mammal on your own. NOAA and the sanctuary employ professionals able to judge which actions, if any, to take in such situations. Approaching an injured or sick marine mammal can be dangerous to you and harmful to the animal. REMS real estate maui style 77