A sperm whale fluking off the island of Hawai‘i. Photo by Daniel Webster. From 2000 through 2009 we've encountered sperm whales on 27 occasions in Hawai‘i, with sightings throughout the year (with the exceptions of February, March, August and September). We try to obtain photographs of the underside of the flukes for individual identification, and these are contributed to a photo-identification catalog at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California.
Adult sperm whale logging at the surface. Photo by Robin Baird. We are also using satellite tags (note the tag visible at the base of the dorsal fin) to examine movements of sperm whales in Hawaiian waters. Because sperm whales do not always show their tail flukes when they dive, we also obtain dorsal fin photographs to identify individuals.
Sperm whale traveling. Photo by Annie Douglas. The blow hole, located at the tip of the head on the left side, is visible in this photo.
Pair of sperm whales off the island of Hawai‘i. Photo by Daniel Webster. Sperm whales in Hawai‘i typically use deep water (our sightings range from 1,100 to 4,650 meters deep; average = 2,590 m) far from shore (our sightings range from 5 to 32 kilometers from shore; average = 19 km). Group sizes we've documented range from lone individuals to a group of 16, and whales are often spread out over very wide areas.
A sperm whale breaching in Hawai‘i. Photo by Darren Roberts. We are also collecting skin samples from sperm whales in Hawai‘i for contribution to a large-scale study of population genetics being undertaken through the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Samples are obtained both from sloughed skin in the water and from remote biopsies.
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