A Whale of a Place

Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center reopens with flair

By SERENE GUNNISON

A strange yellow device resembling an archaic cell phone sits on display at NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center in Kīhei. This peculiar gadget is a satellite tag, and like many of the artifacts on display at the center, it was once fastened to a 40-ton humpback whale.

The newly renovated visitor center is a window into the realm of humpback whale research and rescue. After a lengthy closure following the pandemic, the center reopened in December 2022, debuting a new look and focus. Fresh exhibits have been added to showcase the intricacies of whale research and emphasize the importance of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s whale disentanglement work within the marine sanctuary, which encompasses 1,370 square miles of coastal waters in Hawai‘i.

Apart from research, whale disentanglement is one of NOAA’s primary focuses in the Hawaiian Islands. Hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins and porpoises worldwide become tangled in marine debris every year, which can lead to severe injury, infection or starvation. Fortunately, success stories abound, and tangible evidence of such victories is displayed at the visitor center.

Lining the exhibit shelves are weathered tangles of rope, cable and other debris that were removed from humpback whales by trained NOAA staff. The detritus is affixed with tags that show when and where the humpback was first spotted and subsequently freed.

One piece of debris, a thick black cable, was removed from the mouth of a whale off Kīhei. According to one of the visitor center’s hospitable docents, the whale had 500 feet of underwater coaxial cable tangled around its mouth. “I mean, where does that even come from?” he said. “They had to send us down to get bolt cutters from Ace Hardware to remove it.” ombucha tea, water kefir ewery tours are also available! elabeverage.com ompany

Despite the sobering reminders of humanity’s effect on humpback whales, good news proliferates. Docents proudly assert rising humpback populations and quip to guests about victorious whale rescues. And with collective conservation efforts, this spectacular whale species will thrive for generations to come.

Visit the Hawaiian Islands Whale Sanctuary Visitor Center at 726 S. Kīhei Road in Kīhei from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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