he mission of the National Marine Sanctuary Program is to 

manage marine areas of special national significance in order to protect their

ecological and cultural integrity for current and future generations. 

To achieve this mission, the goals of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale

National Marine Sanctuary are: 

T

• To protect the humpback whale and its habitat. 

• To educate and interpret the relationship of 

humpback whales to the Hawaiian Islands marine

environment for the public. 

• To manage selected uses of the sanctuary. 

• To provide for the identification of marine resources

and ecosystems of national significance for possible

inclusion in the sanctuary.

2

4

3

2

1

d

c

b

a

Match the numbered flukes on

the left with the same flukes 

on the right.

Scientists identify individual humpback whales by studying their tails,

which are also known as flukes. The scalloping, color patterns, and

scars on the undersides of the flukes are as unique as your fingerprints.
3

Find and circle the words that

relate to whale behavior.

Whales are often seen leaping from the water (breaching) or slapping

the surface of the water with their pectoral fins and flukes. These

behaviors may serve a number of social functions. Whales may engage

in these behaviors to communicate to other whales, to check out what

is going on above the surface, or to simply play. If you are ever in a

boat or swimming and see a whale exhibiting these behaviors, be sure

not to get closer than 100 yards. Whales are protected by law, and we

should be especially careful not to disturb them in a whale sanctuary,

where they have come to give birth to their young. 

p h s i e o f g j u tw

s e p u s e k u l f at

i ac e v i d e f o i s

o d e sw o dt v p l o

drbrl ac a s k s e

s i v lc a a rx h lv

gs r j o k pg e l a l

l edk ewf i u s pa

h c a e r bmmw r d c

breach

flukes up

pec slap

head rise

dive

tail slap

blow

migrate

calve
4

2

3

4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11

12

13

14

15 16

17

18

19

20

21

22 23

24

25

26 27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35 1

Exhalation/spout

Blowhole

Dorsal Fin

Barnacles Scalloped fluke edge

Fluke notch

Scars from 

attacks

Caudal peduncle

Pectoral fins longer

than any other whale

Ventral pleats

Barnacles

Sensory tubercles 

(hair follicles)

Connect the dots to 

complete the Humpback whale.

11
5

Find a migration route from

the waters off Alaska to the 

protected waters of Hawai‘i.

North Pacific humpback

whales generally feed in the

colder waters off Alaska 

during the summer months

and migrate South in winter 

to mate, calve and nurse their

young. The exact route of

approximately 3,500 miles 

is unknown, and the open

ocean poses many hazards

such as ocean debris, oil spills,

ships’ propellers, and attacks 

by predators.
6

0 5’ 10’

Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are part of a group of mammals called

cetaceans. There are about 78 different species of cetaceans in the world.

Humpback whales (also known by their scientific name, Megaptera

novaeangliae) are one of the more easily recognized cetaceans in

Hawaiian waters. Don’t forget that Hawaiian waters also provide habitat for numerous other marine species including Hawaiian monk seals,

green and hawksbill turtles, many species of fish, and coral reef inhabitants. Some of these are found nowhere else in the world.

Connect the cetaceans shown below with their names

to learn what other species may be found in Hawai‘i.

a. sperm whale

Physeter 

macrocephalaus

b. long-finned 

pilot whale

Globicephala 

malaena

c. bottlenose 

dolphin

Tursiops 

truncatus

d. false killer whale

Pseudorca 

crassidens

e. spinner dolphin

Stenella 

longirostris

1 2

3

4

5
7

1

2

3

4

5

6

Tail Slap

Peduncle Slap

Head Slap

Head Rise

Breach

Pec Slap

Humpback whales display a wide variety of behaviors while in the waters off

Hawai‘i. Can you identify the various Humpback whale behaviors below?.

5 6

3 4

1 2
8

1. Whales are fish because they live in the ocean.

2. Humpback whales live in Hawaiian waters all year long.

3. Pec slapping may be a way that whales communicate.

4. Humpback whales come to Hawai‘i to feed.

5. Every humpback fluke looks the same.

6. Whales are protected by laws.

7. Humpback whales have hair follicles just like other mammals.

8. Whales do not play. They are very serious animals.

9. Do not get closer than 100 yards to a humpback whale.

10. North Pacific humpback whales migrate over 7,000 miles 

every year.

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

T or F

Answer the following questions with true or false. 

Can you explain your answers?
Page 2

Page 5 Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Answer: 1.b, 2.d, 3.a, 4.c

s i e o fgj u w

s t

i fo s

o e wod vp o

d r ac sk

s v c a xh

g rj k el

l dk e f u s

h c a e r bm wr d

ph t

epus ekulfa

ac e v i d e i

ds t l

rb l a s e

i l a r lv

s o pg al

e w i pa

m c

Answer: 1.b, 2.e, 3.a, 4.c, 5.d

1. Breach

2. Head Rise

3. Pec Slap

4. Peduncle Slap

5. Head Slap

6. Tail Slap

Answer: 1. False. Whales are mammals. 2. False. They migrate 

to Hawai‘i in the winter. 3. True. Pec slapping may serve other

social functions as well. 4. False. Most humpbacks feed in the

colder waters off Alaska. 5. False. Humpback flukes are unique to

each individual whale. 6. True. Federal laws protect humpbacks

by allowing a football field’s distance (100 yds.) between whales

and spectators. 7. True. Hair follicles are found on the tubercles on

a whales head. 8. False. Whales, as well as humans, engage in

playful activity. 9. True. Federal laws allow whales to have space

to perform their natural behaviors. 10. True. Round trip from 

Alaska to Hawai‘i is approximately 7,000 miles.

Page 3

Page 4
visit our website at

http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov

or email us at

hihumpbackwhale@noaa.gov

HawaIIan Islands Humpback Whale NatIonal MarIne Sanctuary

Whale ActIvIty Book

3rd edItIon August 2004

MauI

Headquarters

726 South Kihei Rd.

Kihei, Hawai‘i 

96753

Toll Free 

(800) 831-4888

Voice 

(808) 879-2818

Fax 

(808) 874-3815

O‘ahu OffIce

6700 Kalaniana‘ole 

Highway

Suite 104

Honolulu, Hawai‘i 

96825

Toll Free 

1-888-55-WHALE 

Voice 

(808) 397-2651

Fax 

(808) 397-2650

Kaua‘I OffIce

Kukui Grove

Executive Center

4370 Kukui Grove St.

Suite 206

Lihu‘e, Hawai‘i 

96766

Voice 

(808) 246-2860

Fax 

(808) 246-2862

State of

HawaI‘I

1151 Punchbowl St.

Suite 330

Honolulu, Hawai‘i

96813

Voice 

(808) 587-0106

Fax 

(808) 587-0115