Humpback whales in Hawaii population & distribution

Prior to 1976 little demographic data was known of the Hawaiian Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae. In order to answer several environmentally oriented questions, a two year census was initiated. Shore based, vessel and aerial observations were used to count whales and the advantages and disadvantages of each method was tested. The most accurate method was a combination of the three called the "Blitz." It was shown that the first whales arrive in November, peak in February and are gone by the end of June. Whales congregate only over shallow banks and during the peak of the season there are approximately 300 within the main islands, 20 of which are calves.