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David Mattila - At Play With Hawaii's Gentle Gaints

hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov

On a typical day, David Mattila wakes up and greets the Maui sun as it rises. He checks the weather, then checks it again, and spends from sun up to sun down on a small motor boat. He's not a fisherman. He's not a diehard surfer looking for perfect waves. He scans the horizon in search of humpback whales.

David Mattila is not just looking for whales; he's there to study them and on occasion, to rescue them. As the Science and Rescue Coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in Kihei, he has the unique job of rescuing whales. He is one of only three people who are fully authorized to do this job.

"As many as two-thirds of the humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean migrate through our waters each year," he shares. "Unfortunately, some whales get entangled in man-made nets, ropes and fishing gear." It's all part of the fragile balance between man and mammal coexisting on the same planet.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary coordinates these whale rescue efforts. Naomi McIntosh, the Sanctuary Manager on Oahu, says it can be a tough job but it can be ultimately rewarding. "I grew up here in the islands," she explains, "and spent a lot of the time at the beach in Kailua. So having that incredible life experience, I wanted to find a way to give back to the community. Joining the sanctuary was a perfect way for me to help protect what I love about the islands."

"I love interacting with people and sharing our knowledge of whales -- and how special they are," she continues. "One of the most rewarding things is to talk with the children about what they can do to protect the environment. They get very excited about it."

Recent data has shown that the overall whale count is up. A new program, called SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpback Whales), utilizes shared research techniques to allow researchers to track and monitor whales throughout their migratory route, which reaches from Canada, to the Hawaiian Islands, all the way to the western North Pacific waters off Russia.

"The whales seem to be thriving, and they keep returning to our waters year after year," says David. "Hawaii can be especially proud of the concern and care shown towards the humpback whales. Generally speaking, the whale watching tours are very respectful of the environment. It's been refreshing to see how much people here care about the ocean and its inhabitants."