A Visual Sighting and Acoustic Detections of Minke Whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae) in Nearshore Hawaiian Waters

Minke whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Lacépède), have been considered a rare species in Hawaiian waters due to limited sightings during visual and aerial surveys. However, our research suggests that they are more common than previously considered. In spring 2005, a combined visual-acoustic survey of cetaceans in Hawaiian waters resulted in the sighting of a minke whale within 22 km of Kaua'i. Minke whale vocalizations were also detected at several other locations near Kaua'i and O'ahu. These 2005 reports are the first from nearshore (