MAUI'S HUMPBACK WHALES
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Maui's favorite wintertime visitors are the humpback whales that migrate
from Alaska to Hawaii each winter. This population of whales was
once near extinction due to large-scale whaling by many nations.
At its lowest point scientists estimated the North Pacific
population of humpback whales at less than 2,000
animals.
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Then, over thirty years ago, many members of Maui's ocean activity
and environmental communities banded together to create a new way for
human visitors to Maui to become enthusiastic supporters
of protecting whales, other marine animals and the world's oceans.
These pioneers reasoned that exposing Maui's human visitors to these
magnificent marine mammals, in their natural habitat, would create a
"conservation consciousness" that would enlist individuals from around the world
in a campaign to save the whales.
This was the beginning of Maui whalewatching cruises, and the beginning of a major conservation
success story. Scientists now estimate there are in excess of 10,000
whales in this population. Although still officially listed as "Endangered" it
now appears that our humpback whales may be making a major comeback from the
brink of extinction.
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Whales are also often easily visible from the side of a beach-hugging
highway and many of Maui's resorts and hotels. For those less inclined to sign-up for a boat ride, many of these beachside
locations have established whalewatch activities, including expert naturalists
to explain whale behaviors.
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Our members whose websites are linked below can provide you with
a peak Maui whalewatching experience.
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