E komo mai · 30 years & counting
Shore-based whale counting across the Hawaiian Islands.
Three Saturdays each whale season, volunteer observers gather at sites across the sanctuary to count humpback whales from shore. 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the count.
0
Years of community counting
3
Counts per whale season
4 hrs
8 am – 12 noon shore survey
5
Main Hawaiian Islands
Save the dates
The 2026 Ocean Counts
Three Saturdays during the peak humpback season. Counts run from 8 am to noon at sites across Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, the Island of Hawaiʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi. Maui's separate count is run by the Pacific Whale Foundation.
Register for a date-
Count 1
January 31
2026 · 8 am – 12 noon
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Count 2
February 28
2026 · 8 am – 12 noon
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Count 3
March 28
2026 · 8 am – 12 noon
About the project
Community science at the shoreline
The Sanctuary Ocean Count is a signature education outreach and community science project that Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary hosts annually. Ocean Count serves to promote public awareness about humpback whales, the sanctuary, and shore-based whale watching opportunities in the Hawaiian Islands. The count is conducted three times per year during peak whale season and provides a snapshot of humpback whales sightings from the shoreline.
Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals’ surface behavior during the survey which is from 8 am to 12 noon. Since it is an Ocean Count we also encourage noting down any other species you might see during the count. The Sanctuary Ocean Count project is highly dependent on and hugely successful due to our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers! A similar effort is also done on Maui with the Pacific Whale Foundation.
Get involved
Whether you're observing for the first time or you've been counting for years, here's where to start.
Mahalo for your support
30 years of counting takes 30 years of community.
OceanCount runs on volunteer time, donor support, and the Foundation's care for Hawaiʻi's marine sanctuary. If you'd like to help us count for 30 more years, here's how.