The Captain's Log

August 25, 2010 - Excellence in Research Prize and Medal to be Awarded to Professor David Rothenberg

We are very proud to announce that our very own board member David Rothenberg is about to receive the "Excellence in Research Prize and Medal" from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

It is awarded by the NJIT Board of Overseers in recognition of a "researcher's sustained record of achievement that has enhanced the reputation of NJIT."

In the announcement on their website they say David "personifies the integration of research, instruction, economic development and public service that are this University's core mission elements."

Dr. David Rothenberg is a professor of music and philosophy at NJIT. His widely publicized studies of bird song and whale song illustrate the complex, complementary relationship between music and the scientific investigation of nature. Rothenberg is currently working on a book that assesses the connection between evolution and aesthetics, including the power of the aesthetic aspects of Darwin's concept of natural selection. His most recent book, Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Basic Books, 2008), as well as the same-named CD, chronicled the rich, underwater universe of whale sound. To produce the material, Rothenberg traveled from Hawaii to Russia to play his bass clarinet while recording the sounds of whales in their native habitats. Booklist , a publication of the American Library Association, named the text one of the ten best science and technology books for 2008.

August 21, 2010 - Acknowledging the Loss of a Key Whalesong Founder

It's my painful duty to announce the passing of our Founding Board President Ed Bigelow last week. He will be sorely missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.

Ed and and I designed elements of our first Whalesong Project buoy on a napkin at Borders Coffee Shop in Kahului back in 2000. He was a guiding light for our fledgling organization as we became a "legitimate" 501C3 corporation. He was a gracious, intelligent, inspiring and good humored facilitator of our Board Meetings for the eight or so years we have been incorporated, until he resigned last year due to health concerns.

Ed had a big heart and an incredibly intelligent mind. His interests and professional credentials were diverse, including science, economics, solar and alternate energy design and production, photography, art and music.

I met Ed through our mutual love of Hawaiian music, through our Kumu (teacher) and friend George Kahumoku, also a Whalesong Project Founding Board Member.
Ed was introduced to Hawai'i by his incredible wife Helen. Their mutual love of Hawai'i and Hawaiian Culture has had them contributing in many ways to keeping the culture alive in the world, and in bettering the community around them.

Ed was also one of my best friends and the best kind of friend a person could have. And he was my next door neighbor for the past five years. Those who have attended events at my home can testify that Ed was not only an engaging and delightful presence, and a great guitar and ukulele player, but that he also made one of the best Liliko'i cheesecakes on the planet, from passion fruit that he and Helen grow.

What are we going to do Ed? You are irreplaceable. You will live on in our hearts.
The picture below is Ed, George Kahumoku, me jamming at my home, Whalesong buoy in the background.

Dan Sythe, founder of The Whalesong Project

July 22, 2010 - Project Update

The Whalesong Project is in a holding pattern right now. We hope our last ten years of webcasting the live songs of the Humpback Whales has raised awareness about this endangered species, and our endangered oceans... and about the fact that the oceans are a highly acoustic environment. This is important to know in an age that is filled with noise that can affect life. Whether it is noise generated by boats, underwater oil exploration, acoustic well logging with explosive devices, or sonar for navigation and military purposes.

We feel good about our ten year contribution, and we are assessing whether to put the hydrophone in the ocean this coming season. It is an expensive venture during a time of economic challenges.

We have applied for a grant that could fund this coming season as an educational project with children. We hope this comes through.

If it doesn't come through, we will continue to do what we can with the income we can generate. We are an all volunteer organization whose annual income from donations ranges from $500 to $10,000. This year we have raised about $6,000, which was spent already on last season's operations. We really need about $15,000 per year to operate. With this amount of income we can upgrade, maintain and operate the live webcast with our buoy in the ocean, pay all the associated costs, feed our volunteers from time to time, present at up to 8 events that we are invited to.

If we are not able to raise the money we need, we will continue to do our best and will play recorded whale songs for this season. We hope to put the buoy back in the ocean for the 2011-2012 season.

It is always a lot of work to bring the live songs to the world, which leaves me short on time to thank each of you who have contributed to the project. Thanks to each of you who have supported our work by sending money. Each contribution, no matter how small, has made a difference. Thank you!!!

June 19, 2010 - More on Sperm Whales in the Gulf

Evidently the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission warned of risks associated with oil exploration in the Gulf in the early 1990's. According to this article these warnings were ignored by federal regulators and BP. The author, Heather Heenehan, is a master's degree student in environmental management at Duke University, and is working on a summer fellowship at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

June 18, 2010 - Messing with Mother Nature

CNN quotes one of the workers on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig....."This well did not want to be drilled.....it just seemed like we were messing with Mother Nature." Read the full article

Dan Sythe, founder of The Whalesong Project: "How to produce energy and live in harmony with Nature is a challenge, but don't we love challenges? If we look at the long term costs, and the costs of unintended consequences, of our energy choices, I think we will find that there are better choices we can be making. We are inventive people. If we make decisions based on facts about what is really serving the people and the planet, I believe we will make better decisions. Can this happen in Washington D.C.? Miracles can happen.

In the meanwhile the oil gushes and we continue to drive our cars. I'm thinking about what I can do to make a difference this year in my lifestyle and energy choices, and my contribution. We have officially begun our Haleakala Institute project. More information and a website will be coming out soon. We have applied for a grant. The project will be educational in nature and will be Maui-based. If we get the grant we will be working with a lot of children on environmental remediation and sustainable energy projects. Use of media in communications will be involved, and all of it will be based on the Hawaiian way of learning, "Ma ka hana ka 'ike" - to learn by doing. More soon."

June 17, 2010 - Gulf oil spill and Whales

There has been a lot of speculation about the impact of the the oil spill on whales and dolphins. This story says NOAA is investigating the death of a Sperm Whale near the accident. In Hawaiian, the Sperm Whale is called Palaoa. The Palaoa are considered a form of Kanaloa, the God of the Ocean. They were hunted to near extinction, and are still an endangered species. Lets hope the problems in the gulf are solved soon, and that some wisdom is developed that will help turn the tide in favor of healthy oceans.

June 8, 2010 - Ocean Day - Oceans of Life

The theme of Ocean Day this year is "Oceans of Life." Never has the importance of protecting the oceans seemed more important than this very day. Oil streams into the Gulf of Mexico, toxic plastic gyres are growing, ice caps are melting, the ban on commercial whaling may be lifted with support from Washington D.C.
Here's hoping we will wake up and focus more diligently, as a world community, on the importance of the oceans to All Life on this planet. If you want to do something positive today for the oceans, please consider a donation to The Whalesong Project - so we can continue our work, with our all-volunteer team. Your money goes a long way with us, and we are operating on a very thin shoe string these days. Thanks to each of you out there who have contributed with your time, energy, money! With support we expand our activities, without support we have to pull back, and we don't want to do that in this challenging time.

June 6, 2010 - Whalesong Project Board Member George Kahumoku honored

We are pleased to report that Whalesong Project Founding Board Member George Kahumoku was honored with the "Aloha Is" Award for community service at the annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards ceremony in Honolulu. He was recognized "for his support of individuals and entities ranging from dropout students and Maui Community Correctional Center inmates cultivating taro in Waiehu to work with Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge." Read the full article.

Those of us who know George know that he never stops. He is an enduring presence in the world, not just on Maui. He has nurtured young Hawaiian students to become Grammy Awards winners, worked with "at risk" youth for decades, volunteered for countless fund raisers. Sometimes you could fill a page with his activities in just one day. Congratulations George! You deserve it.

At the same ceremony Maui's Hula Honeys won the best Hawaiian Jazz Album of the Year. Jonathan Drechsler, the bass player, volunteers for Whalesong Project! Congratulations Jonathan - and Ginger and Robin.

June 3, 2010 - The Mystery of Pu'u Kohola

As we approach the 200th anniversary of the unification of the Hawaiian Islands, much attention is focused on Pu'u Kohola. It was here that Kamehameha built this large heiau before his unification quest. Some call it the "hill of the whale" and some say it resembles a whale. Some have suggested that perhaps the Kohola, the Hawaiian Humpback Whale, was an 'aumakua of King Kamehameha. Others give a different explanation for the name. Kohola can also mean "chosen day," and there was a belief that the prophesies around Kamehameha and the unification of the islands required consecration of this heiau on a particular day. Hawaiian language and mythology is is filled with kaona, hidden meaning, metaphor. It is possible the name means both. Another puzzling fact: One of Kamehameha's names is Pai'ea. Those of you who watched the movie Whale Rider may recall that the Maori prophet who rode the whale was Paikea, which is how one would say Pai'ea in Maori. Paikea was said to have come from Hawaiki, Hawai'i. We may never know the full mystery of this possible connection between Kamehameha The Great and the whales.

June 2, 2010 - How to lessen sonar impact on whales

May 16, 2010 - Whalesong Project Season 10 Complete

Whalesong Project Season 10 of webcasting the live songs of Maui's Kohola has come to an end. The whales are mostly gone now, and it's been about a week since I have heard any singing. The buoy lost its mooring this morning. Fortunately our diligent lifeguards at Kamaole I Beach called us and brought her safely to shore. They have been keeping a close eye on her for the last 9 seasons, since we moved to Kamaole I after completing our first season at Ma'alaea Bay. Here they are shown loading the buoy into our truck.

They not only brought her to shore, but also made getting her on the road easier with their special equipment

Here Wendy Acosta, a Whalesong Project volunteer, assesses the situation with the life guards

It was John, shown in this picture, who called us and managed the situation. Thank you John, and the rest of your crew. We are deeply grateful.

Now we begin cleaning and painting and various upgrades as we prepare for Season 11. Mahalo to those of you who have sent monetary donations. They allowed us to keep the project going to the end of the season. Any donations towards renovating her so we can get her in early next year are appreciated.

April 7, 2010 - David Rothenberg @ The Cooper Union in New York City

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is hosting a talk by David Rothenberg, musician, philosopher, and author of THOUSAND MILE SONG: WHALE MUSIC IN A SEA OF SOUND on Tuesday, April 13 at 6:30 pm. Rothenberg, who has also written WHY BIRDS SING, will play recordings of sounds of humpback whales and discuss current research on whale communication. The talk is free and open to all in Cooper Union's magnificent new building at 41 Cooper Square (#6 train to Astor Place, R & W trains to 8th St., one block away.) in New York City.

April 1, 2010 - Whalesong @ Celebration of the Arts in Kapalua

Charles Kaupu, Hokulani Holt-Padilla & Clifford Naeole

The Whalesong Project team is humbled and honored to be invited (once again) to one of the most prestigious festivals on the Island. 'Eia ka Manawa...here, now is the time', is the theme for the 18th annual 'Celebration of the Arts' festival at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua this weekend. Like in the past 8 years we will provide the unique opportunity to listen 'live' to our most anticipated return guests, the humpback whales.

March 27, 2010 - Challenging Times

Dan Sythe, founder of The Whalesong Project, about challeging times:

"I thought I would share this beautiful sunset shot, taken with my iphone off of Olowalu last weekend. There are still a lot of whales here, but their numbers will drop dramatically over the next few weeks as they head north to Alaskan waters. They are becoming increasingly interested in people this year. We are hearing many reports of whales seeking human contact, wanting to interact.

On to the challenging news. An AP news story this week says numerous scientific studies predict that coral reefs are heading for extinction worldwide. The scientific community is also acknowledging what the ancient Hawaiians knew for centuries - without healthy reefs you cannot have healthy fish and healthy people. They are a foundation for life in the ocean world. The Hawaiians had a system called the 'ahupua'a. Land divisions were pie shaped, and extended from the top of the mountain to the sea. They knew that everything from the top of the mountain to the deep ocean was connected and that healthy reefs were dependent on healthy land practices. If the world could get this concept, maybe the coral would have a chance.

This Curvier Beaked Whale washed up and died in Hana Maui on Monday. We still don't know if there is a relationship between these rare whale deaths and sonar use by the military in Hawaiian waters, and I'm not hopeful at this point that we will ever know. We finally had one whale tested for acoustic trauma last year, but now there is no mention of it being part of the necropsy process. Ten years of talking with NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Senator Inouye, other politicians, the National Marine Sanctuary, have only brought me frustration. This beautiful creature was hauled away by a team of excited scientists who want to learn about it, but probably will never tell us if acoustic trauma was a factor in its death.

In memory of this whale, I post a video of David Rothenberg performing Pete Seeger's "The Worlds Last Whale" at our benefit concert on Maui, March 19. The rythmic tones accompanying David are the "vocalizations" of Fin Whales, remixed to work with the song. Thank you David, Keaolani, Mark Takaha, and all of the volunteers who contributed to this fundraiser, and to Paulo Mendes for creating the video.

A different kind of reception was given to a whale who died off of Vietnam recently, where fisherman revere the whales and consider them sacred. Whales in Vietnam are referred to as 'Ngai', the same term used to honor Kings, Emperors, and other esteemed leaders, according to an AP news story. Read more

This kind of respect is traditionally extended to whales by the Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures. They are widely believed to be embodiments of the God of the Ocean, Kanaloa (Tanaroa in Maori Culture).

We at Whalesong Project keep saying we seek to inspire people to appreciate and respect the ocean and the life it contains. As we watch the ice caps melt we wonder if we are making any progress. We have new ideas we want to try, but we are challenged in our ability to carry on this task at this time. We have successfully carried on this project for ten seasons now, but we have been unable to make it sustainable financially. We that volunteer our time are getting worn out raising money to keep it all working as we simultaneously maintain the system, which takes about $15,000 per year to operate. Every penny donated has been gratefully and humbly accepted and put to use to keep the project going. But the money coming in falls far short of what we need to keep it going. We may be forced to shut down the project until we find a way to pay for it. I am very sad to report this. It is the last thing I want to do, but I may not have any choice. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

With aloha, Dan"

March 14, 2010 - Peak Season Report

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this season's success. It feels a little overwhelming every year to bring all of this equipment and software online, and participate in the events that this season brings. But we now have our buoy secure at her original mooring. It took a few trips out there to manage the trasition, find the anchor, etc. The whales are singing some very interesting songs this year. David Rothenberg is here and preparing for the benefit concert this Friday. David always brings interesting stories, people, technology. We enjoy his presence here. We were mentioned in the Maui News this week. We are preparing for participating in Celebration of the Arts at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua April 2, 3, 4. Again, thank all of you who have helped fix or maintain the buoy, sent money, played music or danced at one of our fund raising events. More soon!

March 9, 2010 - Whalesong Project Benefit Concert March 19 2010

Please join us on March 19, 7 PM, Makawao Union Church. David Rothenberg returns to share his music, stories, and to play live with whale songs from our buoy, and more. More information to follow. Thanks to all of you who have volunteered for the project, played music, provided a boat, paddled out on a surfboard during the tsunami, set the anchor, played music, sent money to keep our project alive.

March 4, 2010 - Shifting Tides - Whalesong Project needs Help

The buoy is moored temporarily in a new location. In the period between the tsunami and sunset we could not get her back to her permanent anchor. She drifts north in the morning and we get some noise as she leaves the area where our dish antenna can pick up her signal. Willy's boat trailer is broken, and we have not been able to secure another boat. We were hoping this season to have our own service boat and a webcam pointed at her, but the economic tides have created challenges for the Whalesong Project.

Our all-volunteer team is operating in the red right now. At the beginning, the project was funded entirely by me. We became a non-profit corporation and over a period of several years were able to raise the $15,000 per year we need to operate through donations. Last year donations plummeted and my personal credit cards became maxed out to keep the project alive.

We raised $1,500 recently through the kokua of numerous volunteers and musicians at our fund raising concert. With additional donations from Whalesong Germany, we got the buoy in the water.We have another benefit concert scheduled for March 19 (stay tuned).

We have survived the tsunami and kept our project alive in an economic tide that left many of the world's largest and most powerful corporations in bankruptcy. But we are straining our volunteers resources to do it. We know that there are thousands of you out there who love the project and many express support with annual donations. Most of our donations are in the $10 to $30 range, and they are heartfelt and deeply appreciated. I have a hard time asking for more, but I just wanted to put it out that we need support to keep the project alive.

I read in the news that various countries are competing for rights to the oil reserves under the Arctic ice...looking forward to when the ice caps are gone and the resources can be "exploited." It's this kind of thinking that we are working to overcome. Please help us.

The picture above was taken right after the tsunami, when we recovered Hokumoanalani as she drifted. Paulo Mendes, on the left, caught a ride back to shore in Cove Park after the rescue. He picked up his board and looked back to see the cove was empty. The tsunami was still reverberating through our archipelago.

Hope you are all well. Thank you for listening.

Dan Sythe, founder of The Whalesong Project

February 28, 2010 - ...a tsunami adventure...

We have great news to report directly from Dan on Maui: "We had a big adventure today with our buoy, Holumoanalani. We planned a service call this morning, but woke up to sirens and phone calls about the approaching tsunami. We watched the tsunami hit Hawai'i on television, and when I took a break to check email I saw a message from a woman named Jackie in Kihei who said the buoy was drifting north. Paulo Mendes and I rushed over there hoping to retrieve her before she was damaged or lost. The emergency had just been lifted, but there was no one and no boats in the water in South Maui. The beaches and parks were closed. Strong currents and unusual shifts in sea levels were still occurring. Shelly Stephens joined us, along with Paulo's friend, Nikos Los Banos, with his amazing Dog, Mana. Mana is well known on Maui for his love of surfing with Nikos.

On a kayak and two stand-up paddle boards, we followed Shelly to the buoy. We then towed the buoy back to a spot near her usual mooring. A tricky situation turned humorous when Mana, a strong swimmer, was given a rope to help tow the buoy. We were able to create a temporary mooring until we can go back with GPS to restore the original mooring early this week.

I could not bear the thought of losing the buoy after so many volunteers, including myself, have put in so much time and money to bringing the live whalesongs to you and the world. Big thanks to all!!!"

February 27, 2010 - Tsunami update - 11:57 am

Update from Dan: "I'm sorry to report that some radio interference has moved into our buoy arena. The tsunami is hitting Hawai'i as I write. There is no way to get to the hydrophone and base station right now due to road closures and general evacuation of the coastal areas. We are now getting reports of erratic whale behavior outside of Kahului Harbor. A dramatic drop in the water level at Kahului Harbor is being reported."

February 27, 2010 - Tsunami - 10:55 am

Dan reports: "The whales are singing their seemingly normal songs for this season approximately 15 minutes before the predicted tsunami. I am recording now, out of curiosity. What does a tsunami sound like? I hope I don't hear the sound of our precious buoy washing up on shore. So many volunteers have had a hand in putting her in the ocean and keeping her working. We had a scheduled maintenance run on the calendar this morning. This would have involved two people on surfboard and kayak with tools at the buoy site. We are trying to address some intermittent noise, and the fact that our hydrophone gain is set a little high. This makes the hydrophone (basically an underwater microphone) very "hot." It's great for listening to the whales at medium and far distance. But when we get a singer close by, as we did last night (a very energetic singer) it is causing some distortion. We can't do anything until this tsunami passes, which could happen "any minute" according to the local news channel. More later."

February 24, 2010 - Noise reduction is working

We are now able to offer a much better sound as we successfully installed the noise reduction software. Enjoy!

February 21, 2010 - Whalesong at Whale Day

The Whalesong booth was entirely solar powered this year, thanks to volunteer Terry Fielding, who has a small solar company and loaned us 400 Watts of photovoltaic power. Terry also made a serious commitment of time, energy and expertise to the buoy. He pulled new Kyocera marine solar panels out of his hat at the last minute, when we realized they all needed to be replaced to go into the season with confidence.

Our friends at Pacific Whale Foundation keep giving us more space and better locations every year. We were by the ocean with low noise from the stage, space for the solar array and two tents, next to the Children's Whale Oragami project. There is an Orgami whale created by a child... for each whale killed by commercial whaling - in a very large tent...

We could see Hokumoanalani from our display and there were many whales in the area, a mother and calf close to the buoy, and lots of singing going on. We never could get a picture of our display without people in front of it, but we got this shot when the traffic was light. People on their way to the Orgami tent would inevietably pause to contemplate the whale songs.

Pacific Whale Foundation people expressed much appreciation to us, continue to tell people about us on their boats, have a link to us on their website, let us know they gave us the prime location. Thank you!

February 20, 2010 - We are online - enjoy LIVE Whalesongs!

We are very happy to post this report of Dan from Maui - what a great team we have! Thanks for everybody involved!

"It's been a very challenging several weeks, but we raised enough money to finish rebuilding Hokumoanalani and and get her out in the ocean today. We had a great crew on the boat, and I stayed ashore to install the base station in its new location. We are now webcasting to the Live365 server, which is linked to the whale picture, and which the Iphone application links to. We have to reestablish the shoutcast server - please stay tuned for more possibilities to listen live. The recording David Rothenberg made is still playing on the shoutcast servers until then.

We have not implemented the noise suppression software yet, but hope to do so this coming week. The new transmitter, new receiver, new hydrophone, new solar panels are all working very well, so I expect a reliable webcast for the duration of the season. Paulo took photos of the launch that I expect we will see this coming week. Below are a few I shot with my iphone.

All attention is now focused on Whaleday tomorrow. We will have a fully solar display booth this year with a 6 ft square Kyocera array... focus on sustainability. It's a marathon but we are holding up, with a great crew, but the $600 in the bank is essentially spent already. Hope to get some donations tomorrow to hold us through until the next benefit concert with David on March 19."

February 17, 2010 - Whalesong @Whale Day

Whale Day will be bigger than ever this year as it's the 30th anniversary of Maui's largest and longest running celebration of its famous wintertime residents, the humpback whales! Whalesong will have a booth to bring whale songs to the event. We are working hard to get the buoy into the water before Saturday!

The new base station is completely installed! Thanks to the benefit concert last Friday we were able to buy a new shed and a new higher speed Clearwire modem. Wiring and testing the network was successful. Please keep your fingers crossed that we will be able to launch the buoy in time and please come see us this Saturday!

Whale Day is free and open to all. The Whale Day Celebration will take place Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Kalama Park in Kihei.

February 8, 2010 - The Whalesong Benefit Concert

Lei'ohu Ryder with Maydene Iao at our fundraiser Friday night. Big thanks to them and cousin Ke'ali'i, who danced the hula, and to Ed Ellsworth who took these photos on his iPhone. For a beautiful collage of photos of the evening that show more participants and some music go to Peter Rosen's Site. Thank you, Peter. Oh yes, that's Jonathan Dreshler on bass.

Here's George, our Whalesong Project Board Member, and 4 X Grammy winner! Congratulations George!

We want to thank everyone who came and helped, and donated money and time for this event. We plan another benefit on March 19 with David Rothenberg and Mark Takaha and special guests. Stay tuned. We raised about $1,700 after expenses on Friday, and we hope that will be enough to get the buoy in the ocean and cover the various associated costs of the webcast through February.

February 1, 2010 - Buoy update and Benefit Concert this Friday, Feb 5th!

We are very happy to announce that Whalesong Project Board Member George Kahumoku Jr. just won his 4th Grammy Award in the Hawaiian Music category! George emailed Dan from Los Angeles from his iPhone with the great news last night. We are in the middle of creating an event for this Friday evening with George at Makawao Union Church on Baldwin Avenue near Rainbow Park, 7 pm through 11 PM. First two hours will feature George and other Hawaiian musicians, with hula, and with a little talk-story about the Oceans and Whales....and really anything George wants to talk about. He's a true Hawaiian Renaisance Man, and it is always a great pleasure to hear him play and hear what he has to say. The second part of the evening will explore the musical and mystical realms of the Whale and Ocean world, and human interaction, with Sam David, WhaleTrance, and Eva Gueke, WhaleDance. Dan's band, Keaolani, will open the show. There will be surprise guests and we expect it to be a very enjoyable evening. The acoustics and atmosphere are very good at this venue. Suggested donation $20, Seniors $10, Keiki free.

Download the poster here - please print and spread the word!

Money raised will go to getting our buoy, Hokumoanalani, back in the ocean for the season. We are getting a later start than we would like to be getting, but it's been a challenging couple of seasons in many ways. We've lost some key people to relocation and the economy, and illness. But we are still standing, and hope to become a stronger organization as the challenges facing the world's oceans increase. Your donations through the Paypal button, by mail, or by attendance at our fundraiser will help with that. We remain an all-volunteer organization. There are no salaries, and no compensation paid, to officers, board members, or our team of dedicated volunteers. Your contributions pay for hardware, software, webcasting and webhosting fees, costs associated with participating in the many events we show up at to promote Ocean health and awareness. Stay tuned for details.

January 25, 2010 - Making progress towards the sea...

The whales are here and singing. The buoy is getting closer to being complete every day. We think it will be at least three more days to complete all tests and get a boat, but it could take longer, depending on how testing goes.

Sam David painted the buoy and has added some artistic touches that are beautiful

January 21, 2010 - Buoy progress report

Thanks to all for your patience, as we complete the final stages of the buoy renovation.

We just finished reassembling the power and floatation modules this evening.

We found out today that we need to re-engineer our base station on land, where the receiver and web interface are located, due to physical changes at the site. There are challenges like this every year, but I just keep reminding myself that this is an all-volunteer labor of love, and we just do our best. Thanks to everyone who shows up each year to keep the project alive!

Everyone involved in this project also has a day job, and the economy is challenging right now, but we are moving forward anyway. We had some donations come in over the holidays that will get the buoy in the water if we are very careful to spend it strategically. Thank you to those who pressed the Paypal button.

The picture above shows the electronic section on the work bench last night

James, Kevin and Paulo test the battery pack, cables, and solar charging circuitry on Sunday

Dan, Atreya and his Dad, Sam, retesting the charging system after repairs yesterday

January 7, 2010 - New sounds added

We've added some new sounds in our audio archive. Please have a look and listen to whale songs off of Alaska and sound samples of sonar, vessels and light bulbs...

December 25, 2009 - Happy Holiday Season!

We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 15, 2009 - Buoy in renovation stage...

Our buoy is in the renovation stage right now. It's a night and weekend project for us. Thanks to Paulo (picture below) for his late night dedication. Our goal is to have improved performance and have it in by Christmas, but there are a lot of variables. Many thanks to all who have contributed to our project over the years. Sending aloha and gratitude to each of you.

December 3, 2009 - Tangled up In Blue - Maui Humpack Tangled, Blue Whales Song Lower

Two stories that are breaking in the Whale world today:

A juvenile Humpback is tangled in rope between Maui and Molokai, as teams prepare to entangle it. See Story. This points out the importance of reducing ocean nets, ropes, debris, which create problems for whales and dolphins.

Also, researchers are documenting the fact that the songs of the Blue Whale are getting lower in frequency. There is speculation on causes, and more about the mystery of these songs. See Story.

Dan is back on Maui after extended travel, and will be working on the buoy, with the hopes of having her in the ocean by Christmas.

If you would like to contribute to this all-volunteer project, right now money to pay for batteries, a computer for the webcast, parts and supplies would be greatly appreciated. Please use the Paypal button:

November 23, 2009 - More on Ice Sheets melting, and ocean levels rising

November 17, 2009 - Whales are arriving - Project Status Update

As the whales return, we volunteers at The Whalesong Project are scrambling to raise money to get the buoy back in the ocean. It's an annual ritual, it seems for us. Launching and nurturing the project each whale season takes a lot of time and attention. Last season saw us participate in more events than ever, and at the same time our income dropped dramatically. At the end of each season we scramble back to our paying jobs so we are able to participate in another whale season, which always arrives faster than we expect. We always hope to have the buoy in early so we can hear the early season songs, but we do the best we can... which means if everything goes well we will have her in the ocean by Christmas... which is when the babies start showing up and the singing begins in earnest.

Of course, no one can really prove yet why these mysterious songs are sung, and why they evolve the way they do each year. I keep listening each year in fascination, and something new is learned each year. Maybe, like a puzzle, the "picture" of what we are hearing will be come clearer with time. In the meanwhile, listening and enjoying the fact that these beautiful creatures are still with us after a close brush with extinction, is an annual ritual and celebration for me.

The older Hawaiians tell us that the whales arrive when the Makali'i, the Pleides, come up over the horizon and the Sandalwood Trees blossom. It's the ancient season of the God Lono, who represents peace and agriculture. It's a season when any war ceased. That season is upon us.

October 31, 2009 - First whale sighting of the season

The humpback whales are back to Maui! One of the local whale watch boats spotted a mother and a calf 3 miles off Pali. This is always a very exciting moment for all of us on Maui. We are working hard to make our Season Number 10 of broadcasting the sounds of the humpback whales possible - we need your support!

October 8, 2009 - Getting ready for Season Number 10!

The Whalesong Project is preparing for Season Ten! We continue to hear from teachers and students, and all kinds of people who are listening to our live webcast every year. We continue to operate as an all-volunteer organization focused on inspiring people to care for the oceans. We feel we made progress recently when the first necropsy was performed on Maui that looked at the ears of the beached whale for acoustic trauma. This is something we have been talking to numerous politicians and agencies about for the past nine years. We also are making progress on a new initiative to model sustainable living ideas on our home Island, Maui. We need to change our lifestyle as a species if we are going to slow the melting of the glaciers and keep the oceans healthy. We are calling this project Haleakala Institute. Please join us in our work by volunteering, or by pushing the Paypal button to give our volunteers some money to work with on this labor of love. Last year was a challenging one financially and we are hoping for more support from our listeners this season, so we can make improvements and move our new projects forward. Thank you!!!