Dead humpback calf found off Waianae coast, Hawaii

Crews spent the afternoon trying to move the carcass on the rocky reef just behind Waianae High School.

It’s estimated the whale was 15 feet long.

“We came down about 11-ish and we found the carcass right here”, said NOAA Fisheries volunteer Barbara Billand.

Less than 200 yards off shore were other whales, reportedly from the same pod, mourning their loss.

“Moms are always close by, maybe they got separated, maybe it got sick, I don’t know if it’s a boat collision”, said Billand.

As rescue teams were called and making their way to the scene, other beachgoers came to see what was happening.

“We saw some bruises and all scraped”, said Waianae resident Zaralynn Simbahon. “I wish he was alive still yet.”

And getting the whale to a research lab to find out how it died was a challenge.

“This is a raised limestone bench, lots of jagged rocks. Bringing a vehicle over here is impossible,” said DLNR chairperson William Aila Jr.

The DLNR decided to first take the whale to the Waianae Small Boat Harbor.

“As you can see it was a matter of placing the ropes in the right place,” added Aila. “Getting the right vessel to help pull it off and waiting for the right ocean to come in and assist us.”

A trailer was waiting at the boat harbor so it could be hauled to a research lab at Hawaii Pacific University.

“Everyone is interested to see why this particular whale died. It will lead to better science and management in the future,” said Aila.

They hope it serves as a reminder to boaters and all ocean users.

“This is something that we are going to see more and more frequently as the number of whales increase and increase significantly,” said Aila.

“Boaters please when you’re out there and you see whales, go slow until you pass them. Go slow it’s whale season”, said Billand.