Marine sanctuary seeks volunteers for 2018 Ocean Count

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is looking for volunteers for the 2018 Sanctuary Ocean Count.

Now in its 23rd year, the annual Ocean County relies on volunteers to count whales and record their behaviors from more than 60 shore sites on the islands of Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii.

Through Ocean Count, the public can learn about humpback whale population, distribution and behavioral trends while being involved in a volunteer monitoring effort. This year’s count activities are set for 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Jan. 27, Feb. 24 and March 31 at selected sites.

Those interested can register at http://sanctuaryoceancount.org/register. Additional information is available at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. You also can call 725-5923 (Oahu and the Big Island) or 246-2860 (Kauai).

Volunteers must register to participate. Registration closes one week prior to the event date.