There are still reports of whales out there, but sightings are becoming less frequent as they head north. It's been a beautiful whale season. Thanks to all of you who have shown support in one way or another!

April 29, 2009 - International Noise Awareness Day

The impact of noise on hearing, health and the quality of life can be no longer be disputed. Noise is more and more a health strain for humans - for the oceans noise is becoming a certain danger. Increasing noise pollution is affecting the navigational abilities of the whales.There are three main sound sources that life in the ocean has to deal with:

Boat and shipping traffic: studies of Dr. Marsha Green show that whales behave different at a noise level of about 120 db - lots of small vessels cruising around Maui reach this noise level. Whales react by swimming 2 to 3 times faster than usual to avoid the noise. Supertankers for example can reach up to 190 db (this is 3.200 times louder than 120 db!) and can be heard under water one day before they actually get there.

Air guns: used by the industry for oil and gas exploration. In times of dwindling resources the use of these air guns increased dramatically. They detect the sea bottom with the use of 250 db loud sound blasts which are sent down every 5 seconds - for hours! Hydrophones are picking up the echo, providing the industry with the information whether oil or gas would be available under the surface. 250 db (this is 3.2 million times louder than 120 db) marks the loudest noise ever produced by humans apart from dynamite.

Sonar: low and mid frequency active sonar systems are able to detect quiet vessels and therefore it produces extremely loud sound waves (up to 235 db). Imagine standing in a distance of about 20 feet from a Saturn V rocket taking off... According to the Navy this noise can be heard in an area of 2,4 million square miles - that means a sonar testing can be heard within the entire North Pacific. The problem is that tests are being held in areas where whales are located. For comparison only: as little as 85 db it is dangerous for the human ear! Contrary to the whales, humans can close their windows or just put on ear plugs to protect themselves against the noise. They are unprotected against underwater noise pollution and the loss of their sense of hearing often means death as they lose the ability to navigate. Therefore it is not astonishing that the significant increase of whale strandings are being linked to sonar tests.

April 28, 2009 - The buoy is working again!

It is late in the season, but we are happy to report the system is all working again. There are a few whales singing tonight. Please enjoy the last songs of this season, as our Kohola head north for the feeding grounds around Alaska.

April 25, 2009 - Earth Day at University of Hawai'i Manoa

Dan reports from his trip to O'ahu: "I always enjoy seeing children's faces when the listen to the whales. Some listen very deeply. Some dance. It doesn't seem to matter how young or old they are, for there to be a fascination and connection. We celebrated Earth Day with our neighbors on O'ahu last week. It was a great crowd and we met a lot of new friends.

I was really impressed with the commitment that a lot of the Marine Biology Students on Campus have. There is a real passion for taking care of the ocean that left me feeling good."

The members of Victoria Holt-Takamine's Halau Hula performed to a large crowd there on the Manoa campus

April 22, 2009 - Earth Day 2009

This Earth Day, Earth Day Network is leveraging the magic, global recognition and commitment to change associated with the annual ball drop in Times Square to launch the year-long 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010, and a 'Green Generation' campaign to catalyze 'a billion acts of green,' volunteer actions around the world.
The new 'green' time ball in Times Square is the perfect setting to launch the Green Generation Campaign for Earth Day 40. The Green Generation campaign will lead thousands of towns and cities toward a new sustainable future based on renewable energy, green jobs, and a new green economy.
"Earth Day 40 will be the largest celebration of Earth Day to date," said Kathleen Rogers, president of the environmental nonprofit Earth Day Network, which grew out of the original Earth Day and coordinates Earth Day observances globally. "The annual New Year’s ball drop in Times Square is viewed by a billion people worldwide, and inspires its audience to adopt New Years resolutions; we hope the Earth ball will have similar viewership and a similar effect, inspiring a billion people to make a personal commitment to the environment for the year leading up to Earth Day 40."

April 20, 2009 - Earth Day greetings and buoy update

We really enjoyed Earth Day at Studio Maui yesterday afternoon and evening. We love to share our project with the community and meet the people who are listening and find inspiration from our project and other people who are working on various projects to benefit the earth and the environment. Here's a picture of Amber and Sam at our display area last night. They are expecting a baby, and we are all excited about that.

The buoy signal has been intermittent, and the whales are diminishing rapidly in numbers. We are weighing whether to mount a buoy repair mission or to call it a season.

We have an invitation to present at Earth Day at the University of Hawai'i campus on O'ahu this Wednesday. We have also been informed that there is interest in beaming our live songs into deep space from Cape Canaveral again this year - a project of Sirius Institute in collaboration with Earth Day University of Hawai'i Hilo Campus.

It's been a very busy season, and the costs of the project have vastly exceeded our income. It's a challenging time for everyone right now, and we are not exempt. Even though we are an all-volunteer organization, and we enjoy the project tremendously, we may need to end the season so we can recuperate financially and be ready to go again next year. If you are able to support us financially we would really appreciate that!

Right now we are playing a recording, while we evaluate the situation. Thanks to all of you who have participated and helped with the project this year, and in past years. Stay tuned!

April 14, 2009 - The Whalesong Project at the Maui Earth Day Festival

The Whalesong Project will participate at the Maui Earth Day Festival this Saturday, April 19th 2009. We will participate in the evening program at The Studio Maui in Haiku from 6pm- 11pm with all the amplified music, dancing, food vendors, green vendors, information booths and environmental short movies. The park festival will take place in Paia this Saturday, 10:00 am - Sunset. This years motto is "Live Consciously, Consume Sustainably". The Maui Earth Day Festival will go on as an acoustic event this year. There will be environmental and social awareness organizations presenting their information as well as environmental speakers and acoustic music.

April 10, 2009 - Celebration of the Arts

Don't forget we are at the Ritz Carlton this weekend for Celebration of the Arts. There are a lot of children's activities, and we have some artists, musicians and story tellers participating with us this year. Come see us there!!!

April 9, 2009 - Whalesong benefit update

Pictured above are, from the left, Pamela Ka'imiloa Polland, Dan, Laurie and Jake Rohrer, opening for David

Thank you to everyone who attended our benefit concert, organized by David Rothenberg. We raised $525, which was a huge help during these crazy financial times. We are all volunteer, and run on an annual budget of about $15,000. We work hard to make this project work, and we appreciate your support. Thanks to all of the musicians who participated, and to Bruce and Satya at Mandala Ethnica Arts, Phillip Gordon... everyone who participated.

We are really big on the whale songs, but we also listen to the other voices in the orchestra. Some voices are hard to hear, some are disappearing. We want to take care of the oceans, and to inspire others to do the same. Thank you for contributing, for adding your voice, for participating, for sharing our website with others... spreading the word.

Here's me and David. We played with the whales. David thinks the whales were saved from extinction largely by the fascination created by the introduction of their songs into our world with the album created by researcher Roger Payne. The album sold over 2 million!

Here's Pamela Polland, Dan, Laurie Rohrer, Trisha Cabral. Thanks again, everyone!!!

April 6, 2009 - Interwoven Destinies

Dan shares his thoughts with us:

"I'm always thinking about what it is we are doing at The Whalesong Project. Especially when I find myself, and I always do, in the middle of some new unexpected experience each whale season. Here I am out at sea with my upright bass surrounded by cameras from France, Germany and New Zealand. What was I doing there? (I asked myself). Well, I was trying to catch up in the office last week - to keep my small company alive - but the enthusiasm of this international group, including musician/ philosopher/author David Rothenberg, literally swept me out to sea. David again reminded us that it was the songs of the whales, 'discovered' and published in the 1960's, that largely created the awareness to support protecting the whales - or many species would arguably be extinct now.

The French Crew was following the adventures of Pierre Lavange, founder of the Shelltone Whale Project. Pierre is interested in saving the whales by sharing their songs, and he has also created an instrument to allow people to attempt to communicate with them... a very interesting project.

I seem to want to give exposure to our project, and to inspire people to care about the oceans... just about anyone who will listen. And part of our project seems to be recognizing the interwoven destinies of all of us who live on this beautiful planet. That interwovenness becomes apparent each whale season, as people who do care show up - and we interact in sometimes unpredictable ways. But the beauty is in the sharing, and the time we get to spend together doing whatever it is we are doing at the time... recognizing that we all depend on each other to create a good future for our children and grand children.

We at The Whalesong Project obviously seem to care about giving a voice to the natural world. We seem to be, strangely, the Sound Crew for the largest voice on the planet....and one that is rarely heard above the noise of modern civilization.

We are concerned about the future of the ocean, and want to inspire others to care. You could say that we have a commitment to care relentlessly. My dear friend and Kumu Hula, "Auntie" Gordean Leilehua Lee Baily (pictured above) composed a beautiful 'oli and hula that describes a view of the world I like. She performed it with her halau at the More Fishes Hawai'i Conference that we participated in on Saturday. A short version of "Aloha i ka 'aina":

Aloha i ka 'aina no na kau a kau
(Love the 'aina for all time -the 'aina includes the land, water, ocean, creatures, people)
Malama i ka 'aina me ka mana'o no na keiki
(Care for the 'aina thinking of the children)
Kiahi i ka 'aina no na kau a kau
(Protect the 'aina - be guardians - for all time)

The Ahapua'a System of ancient Hawai'i recognized the connection between the heavens and the highest mountain and the deep ocean. What we do above is reflected in what is seen below. A healthy ecosystem on land creates healthy reefs and healthy fish, and the necessities of a healthy life exist. What happens in France, New Zealand, Germany, and other far off places affects the health of the reefs and ecosystems here in the remote Pacific, in these modern times. Our interwoven destinies are converging, and we are working together to make a better world I think.

Wow, the sun is up. What am I doing? I better get to work.

With aloha, Dan"

April 4, 2009 - Peak Activity Period for The Whalesong Project

So much is happening lately that it is hard to get the time to write any of it down. We are at the More Fishes Hawai'i conference today at Maui Community College. Next weekend we are at Celebration of the Arts at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. The following weekend we will be at Earth Day Baldwin Beach. Please come see us and talk story about how to create a healthy future for our oceans on this water planet live on.

Last week we had a great benefit concert with David Rothenberg, and Dan even got to go to sea with David and play some music with the whales - while being filmed by a French film crew for a documentary on whales.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our project recently!!! We raised over $1,000 in the past week, that will help us keep the buoy going through this season. We are very grateful for this! You are part of the team. Stay in touch, give us feedback, help us refine our direction, take personal initiative and let us know how we can help!!!

March 29, 2009 - Buoy service mission complete

Radha Divine and David Rothenberg assisted in a buoy repair mission today!

The buoy is working great again after a trip out there by kayak. A leak in the portal that brings the hydrophone cable into the electronics compartment caused some corrosion of connectors. Repairs were completed successfully and Hokumoanalani is doing a great job. Big thanks to David and Radha for their vital help in making the repairs.
The benefit concert was great. We raised $525!!! Thanks to all of you who attended! Thank you Rosalie Shaw in Sonoma County for your generous donation!!! We will spend it wisely to keep this system going!

March 25, 2009 - On the move...

This picture was taken by Dan yesterday, in one of his precious few trips to the ocean this year. This formation of whales is referred to by researchers as a "Surface Activity Group." It is generally associated with mating activity in the minds of researchers and the general public....there is usually a female being pursued by a group of males. But researchers also acknowledge that there is a lot yet to learn about these mysterious creatures of the deep. No one, it is believed by researchers, has observed actual mating, but amorous activity has been observed and documented.

The whale numbers are thinning here, but the ones who are here are doing plenty of vocalizing. We had some trouble with the system this morning, but we have it working again thanks to our dedicated team. Dan said: "The project attracts a group of very bright and good hearted people, who I am grateful to call my friends."

Our team is all volunteer and our operating expenses are still outweighing our income. Please come to our benefit concert Friday night 8 pm Mandala Ethnic Arts Pa'ia. David Rothenberg will be there with some other talented musicians and a gentleman from France who has designed an instrument for communicating with whales. Please come and support our project.

March 24, 2009 - Whalesong Benefit Concert this Friday!

Please come to the 2nd Annual Whalesong Project Benefit Concert at Mandal Ehtnic Arts this Friday, March 27, 8:00 pm in Paia, Maui. If you can't make it: you can support our project with sending money via our paypal button on the front page or with sending a check to:

The Whalesong Project 810 Haiku Road
Suite 113, PMB 700
Haiku, HI 96708

Every dollar is keeping the project going!

March 23, 2009 - Hawaiian language website dedicated to 'The Whalesong Project'

We are very proud to announce a Hawaiian language website dedicated to "The Whalesong Project". Please have a look:

Initiator is Dan Sythe, founder of "The Whalesong Project". Please read his thoughts about this new project:

"Kanikohola means the sound, 'kani', of the humpback whale, 'kohola'. I think Kohola sounds better than 'humpback'. I actually prefer the Hawaiian language to any of the other languages I speak or play with. It expresses things differently than other languages I am familiar with, and it has a beautiful sound to it. And there is wisdom hidden in the language and the way it is articulated. The language was almost lost. It was illegal to speak Hawaiian in the schools here until 1986. Thanks to Punana Leo o Maui and other organizations, the language is returning. I am grateful to my teachers, and I want to contribute keeping the language of Hawai'i's people alive. Kanaka maoli and other interested parties can now hear the songs of the Kohola at our new website. Please enjoy. E kalamai i a'u, I apologize in advance, for any errors in my Hawaiian. I'm open to feedback, contributions, ideas, direction on this cultural component of our project, which will be growing.

malama i ke kai, e ola kakou
by taking care of the oceans we bring health to us all
Aloha, Dan"

March 23, 2009 - All about whales and their songs

If you are interested in the whale songs and the history of man's discovery of their songs, musical collaborations between people and whales, great songwriters who have written songs about the whales (including Pete Seeger), indigenous people's relationship to the whales, listen to this ABC radio program with David Rothenberg. It took 8 months to produce and is an extraordinary program. David will be with us at a concert he is organizing to benefit our project this Friday at Mandala Ethnic Arts Pa'ia 8 pm.

March 23, 2009 - Whales are very active here and so are the people...

This is Bonnie Crystal, who customized the radio transmitters and receivers we have been using for these past nine seasons, in her Hong Kong laboratory.  Bonnie just sent us two sets of back up systems for the buoy!!!  Thanks again for coming through for the project Bonnie!!!

Dan was invited to this "Whalesong birthday party" last night. Raphiell Nolin (wearing the lei) invited his friends to come to his party and bring a donation for The Whalesong Project in lieu of gifts. His enthusiasm and support for our project made Dan feel really appreciated. They made music with the live whale songs and there are some really good musicians in this group. Dan: "We had a really great time and this was a fantastic idea to support our project. Thank you, Raphiell! Happy Birthday!!!"

The whales are quite active as we pass the middle of the season. Numbers are down a little but the songs continue and they are changing as the season progresses. Katie Velasquez, naturalist aboard the Prince Kuhio out of Ma'alaea, snapped this photo for us on Friday. The whale breached thirty feet from the boat. Katie is an ocean researcher and activist and keeps us informed on important issues.

March 22, 2009 - Whalesong needs support to finish the season

These international students were fascinated by the live whale songs we shared at Whale Day this year. We have been heartened to connect at Whale Day, Whalequest, Celebration of the Arts, Earth Day Maui, and other events, with people from all over the world who use our site in their schools, homes, and special events to share these beautiful and mysterious songs with their children, family and friends, students, co-workers, politicians, community leaders.

We seek, in our sharing of these songs, to inspire people to care about the oceans and the environment. It is important that we understand also that the ocean is an acoustic environment and that some human acoustic activities are dangerous to the whales, dolphins and other marine life. And there are also other serious issues going on right now related to ocean health. How to do something positive that is inspiring and intelligent and effective becomes our important task.

Our buoy needed repair during the last two weeks. We have had a good season so far, with a long run of reliable performance by our system, which received a lot of tender loving care before going out into the ocean.

Our goal at the beginning of this season was to get a zodiac for needed repairs, as making repairs by kayak is very difficult, and Dan injured his back doing that before Earth Day last year. A standard runabout is good for launching and bringing the buoy in, but does not work so well for repairs because of the height difference relative to the electronics compartment on the buoy, and the combined motions of the two create a sometimes difficult dynamic. A boat of the type we need costs about $5,000 used. This type of boat can tie up to the buoy at the proper height without damaging it, and thus facilitate ease of maintenance.

We also planned to put up a $2,000 webcam this season so you can see the buoy and the ocean around it, maybe some whales and dolphins. And we planned to introduce a new project of ours that we hope will help move us towards a world above water that better supports life in the ocean. We are calling the project 'Haleakala Institute'. It is now functioning as a "think tank" on issues of importance to supporting a healthy environment. We plan on a resource center and demonstration project. We need about $5,000 to move it to the next step.

Our donations to support The Whalesong Project have declined dramatically this season. We are a volunteer organization, and we have been operating on about $15,000 per year. We have received less than $800 in donations over the past 9 months! With the economy the way it is we are all challenged, and Whalesong is no exception. We may not be able to complete the season: so we need $15,000 to pay off our debt and get ourselves through this season and into next with the live webcast. And we need $12,000 more to move our other initiatives forward.

We are doing everything we can to keep our work going because we think it is important. What we could really use right now is a donation or donations that would allow us to really go forward with our work... beyond maintaining this system that allows us to connect with the ocean and whale world, and move further into education and demonstration of sustainable ways to live and protect the oceans and whales at the same time: 'The Haleakala Institute'

We have a team that loves the oceans and wants to do good things and has the intelligence and energy and good will to do it. If you know anyone who can help support the project financially please connect us!

March 17, 2009 - The system is working again!

This young listener was very excited about hearing the live whalesongs at our display in Eco Alley on Whale Day in Kihei this year. I am now very excited because after a couple of days of problems, we have the system working again.

You can see the excitement on our faces in this picture taken on the day we launched Hokumoanalani this season. After all of that work, and with the relatively short season in which we get to share the whale songs with the world, we have a lot of incentive to keep it working.

It took a team today, and it took most of the day and the evening, in the rain, but now it is working.

There were multiple causes to the failure, all outside of our control. The good news is that we are back online and that the whales are singing a lot. We perceive some occasional minor radio interference to our audio signal, probably from a new wireless modem we are using. We will try to straighten that out tomorrow.

Everything is working well - but the credit cards are maxed. We realize we aren't the only organization facing this problem right now. We count our blessings that we are able to keep our project alive given the current world financial situation.

We are getting tremendous support from volunteers... people give generously of their time and personal resources to the project... but money is a real problem for us right now.

Most of our donations come in the form of $10 to $50 annual donations from friends who send money every year. We are forever grateful for this support! The tough financial times have tremendously reduced our income. We could really use some benefactors... people who want to leave a legacy for their grandchildren to be proud of. Well, we all want that... and some large donations would help with that.

March 17, 2009 - The buoy Hokumoanalani

This is Whalesong Project volunteer/partner Robert Bonafacio with the dish antenna that is receiving the live whalesongs from the buoy.

It's a complex system that seems to need a lot of attention. We enjoy doing it, especially when we hear the many expressions of appreciation from all around the world.

A lot of people want to know where the buoy is. Here's Robert again, pointing to the dot that is Hokumoanalani, our floating solar-powered technology platform....also a beautiful piece of floating art out there. She is performing magnificently this season. All of our resources are keeping the system working right now, so it's honestly hard to move forward on the new projects.

We are very grateful that there will be a benefit concert with David Rothenberg, Keaolani, Alohia and other guest musicians at Mandala Ethnic Arts in Pa'ia on March 27. We hope you will join us and have some fun and learn about the whales together while we raise money to keep the system working. Thanks to David and his team putting this together for us. More to come on this soon.

March 16, 2009 - Buoy and project status report

We are perpetually grateful to Willy (The Whale) Bennett for his ongoing participation in The Whalesong Project for many years. Willy and his trusty boat have been integral to the success of the project - launching, retrieving, repairing, maintaining the buoy. Recently, Willy has been swimming out to the buoy and performing routine maintenance. Dan called him yesterday to let him know that something wasn't working properly. He promptly swam out there and sent back a full report with pictures to document what he saw:

Things look good on the topside of the buoy. It is in "fine shape physically."

They hydrophone "looks good." Willy removed a barnacle from it carefully and observed no damage.

The seas have calmed down a bit but are still choppy. That's Haleakala, the "House of the Sun" in the background.

Speaking of the sun, Willy also teaches on the subject of solar energy at our community college here on Maui. Thank you again Willy for all the good things you do here on Maui, and for being so dedicated to the success of our project. That's quite a swim out there.

The problem with the buoy appears to be internal. In the oceanic environment things break down and need to be repaired and maintained almost constantly. We are mounting a rescue mission for the buoy with Willy's help, and hope to have it working properly again very soon. The songs you are listening to now on our website are recorded.

Please stay tuned!

March 2, 2009 - Listen to the whales from your iphone

You can now check on the buoy and hear the whales anywhere from your iphone. If you'd like to do this, download StreamitAll from the Itunes store for only $3.99. When you synchronize your phone, StreamitAll will be on your phone's "desktop." Click on it and answer three questions and you are ready to go. Click on + to add a station. Name the station Whalesong Project or whatever you like. Then add this where it asks for the URL: http://www.live365.com/play/whalesongmaui

Enjoy!!!

February 22, 2009 - Whalesong at Whale Day

Here we are at Whale Day in Kihei, and thousands of people came by our display to hear the live whale songs. These international students were seemingly transfixed by the beauty and mystery of this year's songs.

George was there with us and played on the main stage to a huge audience. George is known for his beautiful Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar music and his melodic voice. He is also known for playing music with the whales, and he played live with the whales on Whale Day to an appreciative audience. He also let Dan hold one of his three Grammy Awards, which he brought to share at our display.

February 21, 2009 - Whale Day in Kihei

We will be in Kihei for Whale Day today, in Eco Alley bringing the live whalesongs to the event. George Kahumoku, a Whalesong Project Director and three time Grammy Award winner, will be playing on the main stage around 11 a.m. We think George may jam with the whales again this year in real time. You can see our buoy from the stage.

Dan was out on a whale watch boat recently with friends and this whale reached out to them and made contact with many on board. He would look us in the eye, roll over, and then roll over on his back and show his white belly, then look at us again, go under the boat and do the same for people on the other side. It was a beautiful experience.

We hope to see many of you at Whale Day. Thank you, PWF, for inviting us! Aloha!

February 16, 2009 - Whale Quest - a fabulous event!

Here's Samuel ("Samuwhale") at our display at Whale Quest Kapalua. Thanks Sam!!!

These two professors of music from Washington State University, David and Heidi Jarvis, are here to study the whale song. We look forward to reading the book.

Rachel (in front) is fascinated by the live whale songs. She is a student at Punahou School, the same school our new President attended when he grew up here in Hawai'i.

Dan Sythe stopped by to see his friend George Kahumoku while on this side of the island. Here is George with his students at Lahainaluna High School. One of his students created this whale mural on the side of his class room. George is a Whalesong Project Director and a three time Grammy Award winner for his music. George and Dan will be playing with Pamela Polland and Special Guests at a benefit for the Maui Wildlife Sanctuary, known as the "Booboo Zoo" at the Tropical Plantation at 7 PM this evening.

February 13, 2009 - Whalesong at Whale Quest Kapalua

The Whalesong Project is honored to be invited to Maui's annual Whale Quest Conference at the Ritz Carlton Resort in Kapalua. Whale Quest Kapalua began three years ago as a collaboration between Whale Trust, Maui Land & Pineapple, and Kapalua Resort. Since its inaugural event in 2006, Whale Quest Kapalua has raised more than $175,000 for local whale research efforts.

We are bringing live whale songs from our hydrophone to the event, starting this Friday until Monday. The schedule is filled up with a lineup of speakers from around the world. You will see high quality presentations from Maui's whale research community. We highly recommend this conference to anyone interested in cetaceans and their behaviors in Hawaiian waters, and beyond.

February 3, 2009 - Beautiful whalesongs every day, whales everywhere...

We are happy to report that everything is working very well now!!! It's been a lot of work, but we are where we want to be. The whales are singing new songs, new variations of old songs, and vocalizing things that scientists and whale observers can only guess about the meaning of.

On another "note"- Whalesong Maui heard chatter recently about the importance of the whales to the local economy. In these challenging financial times many people have jobs that are related to people traveling here just to spend time with the whales.

Speaking of challenging financial times, The Whalesong Project has lots of volunteer help, but very little money is coming in this season. Our largest contributor lost money in the stock market crash, and couldn't send money this year. This means we volunteers are also paying for the costs of operating this complex system. If you want to support our project, or you know someone who might want to support us, please let us know or visit our How You Can Help Page.

And please enjoy the ocean songs.

January 27, 2009 - We are LIVE on air!!!

Dan reports from Maui: "Thanks again to everyone who helped make this whalesong webcasting season possible. The system is working again. There is some static tonight that I think I can clear up tomorrow. I've been working nights on it so I can keep my day job going to pay the bills. I got as far as I could in the dark and now the dish antenna for the receiver is duct taped to a fence post. It should sound better once I can get on the roof in some daylight. Thanks everyone for your patience. To listen live go to try this link or paste this link:

http://www.live365.com/play/whalesongmaui

into your I Tunes player under Advanced Settings, Open Stream.

More great pictures of the launch by Anna Kim are posted on her website

Special thanks go to:

Rich Shipley for his support on the webcast - we just call
him our Audio/Webcast Guru! Please go to his website and listen to beautiful Hawaiian music 24/7!

Steve Hogan and Makena Coast Dive Charters.
They were a magnificent help in launching the buoy in good
shape. They were wonderful!

January 24, 2009 - We try again tomorrow

We're ready to go. We finally have a better understanding of why our "aqua-acoustic" pool was not replicating our test audio music accurately. Dan's friend Karl, who produces sound tracks for Sony Motion Pictures, explained that the round chamber produces "spiderwebbing" as the acoustic signal bounces "all over the place." A smaller chamber actually produces a more authentic test. The end result will be how good (and authentic) the whale songs sound. We hope we will all get to witness this tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned! Thanks Karl!!!

January 23, 2009 - We launch tomorrow if weather is favorable

One of our younger volunteers, Nari, is shown testing the buoy system which includes the dish antenna, receiver and audio amplifier for the shore side of the operation. Note the "accoustic pool" we have been using to simulate the ocean environment. Everything is working well and we hope to launch in the morning if the weather is good.

The "shaka" is a Hawaiian greeting. Obama used it to wave to the Punahou band at the Inauguration Parade. We use it to say Aloha and stay tuned for live whale songs soon!!!!

January 18, 2009 - Inching closer to the launch ramp

We have been fine tuning the hydrophone and running some tests. The weather has cleared, after closing schools and government offices this week, but our launch boat is broken. We are looking for a boat and hoping to set a launch date for midweek.

Pictured here (l to r) are Shelly, our diver and anchorwoman, Leanna, who is a boat captain and environmental educator on Maui and in Santa Fe, Sher, a Whalesong Board member. Leanna talks about our project to visitors when she takes them out into the ocean. We thank each of these fine women for their help, inspiration and support of the project.

And we want to thank BJB Charitable Trust for their substantial financial support of the project. The economic situation is a challenge for our project, as it has been for many. Each of you out there who has sent money has our deep gratitude. We have been running on $5,000 to $15,000 per year, all volunteers, no salaries... all costs above what comes in are carried by Dan and our other volunteers. We would very much like to move this project substantially forward, and that is going to require us focusing some time on fund raising. The buoy is the first priority so we are going on credit cards until she is working.

Dan reports from Maui: "We want to welcome President Obama. We look forward to working with him to keep the oceans healthy.

I've been very uncomfortable in many ways with our outgoing president, but I want to thank him for creating and providing protection to Papahanaumokuakea, the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Marine Monument, and adding three other National Marine Monuments in recent days. Mahalo, George Bush, for these important gifts to the world. I hope Democrats and Republicans can now work together and with other world leaders to create the peace, stability, awareness, and proactive programs required to further protect our precious oceans."

January 13, 2009 - We keep getting closer

A friend of Dan from the film/music industry will come by tomorrow to do a sound check on the system. We have an aqueous sound chamber set up and everything seems to be working pretty darn well. Our launch boat is unfortunately down and in the shop right now, so if you know anyone with a boat who would like to help launch please let us know. Stay tuned. Thanks for your patience.

January 12, 2009 - Navy allowed to impact marine mammals for the next five years

According to the Environment News Service the federal government issued authorization to the U.S. Navy to impact whales and dolphins while conducting sonar training exercises around the main Hawaiian Islands for the next five years. The letter of authorization and accompanying rules allow for injury or death of up to 10 animals of each of 11 species over the five years covered by the regulations. The Navy requested authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act because the mid-frequency sound generated by tactical active sonar, and the sound and pressure generated by detonating explosives, may affect the behavior of some marine mammals or cause what the Navy calls "a temporary loss of their hearing."

Mid-frequency sonar can emit continuous sound well above 235 decibels, an intensity roughly comparable to a rocket at blastoff across hundreds of miles of ocean to reveal objects, such as submarines, underwater.

NOAA's Fisheries Service, which issued the authorization says serious injury or death to marine mammals is not expected as a result of the exercises. But the agency acknowledges that exposure to sonar has been associated with the stranding of some marine mammals, and some injury or death could occur...

Read the whole story here

January 6, 2009 - President Bush announces new marine national monuments

Today, President Bush designated three areas of the Pacific Ocean as marine national monuments. By designating these areas as national monuments, the Administration ensures that the marine environment will receive the highest level of environmental recognition and conservation. 

Combined, these designations represent the largest fully protected area in the world.  Under the President's plan, 195,274 square miles will be conserved.

1. The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument consists of three components:

• The first component of this monument is the waters and submerged lands encompassing the coral reef ecosystem of the three northernmost islands. These islands represent some of the westernmost territory in the United States – 5,600 miles from California.

• The second component is the Marianas Trench. The trench, the site of the deepest place on Earth, is approximately 940 nautical miles long and 38 nautical miles wide within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.

• The third component is a series of active undersea volcanoes and thermal vents. Twenty-one active hydrothermal submarine volcanoes and vents support life in the harshest conditions imaginable.

2. The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments protects the pristine coral reef ecosystems around Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Howland, Baker, and Jarvis Islands, Johnston Atoll, and Wake Island – the site of a pivotal battle in World War II and an important military base today. These areas support a large number of nesting seabirds and migratory shorebirds, and their pristine coral reefs contain hundreds of thriving fish species and large apex predators and are also home to endangered turtles.

3. The Rose Atoll Marine National Monument protects the pristine coral reef ecosystem around a remote part of American Samoa.

The President also announced America's first new UNESCO World Heritage Site nominations in 15 years. The two sites are the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (in the North-western Hawaiian Islands) and Mount Vernon.

January 5, 2009 - Greenhouse gases make oceans more noisy

Greenhouse gases worsen ocean noise as acidity levels are rising and causing sound to travel farther, making it ever harder for marine mammals to communicate. This is the result of a study of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California.

UN and wildlife experts talked about this development during the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) which took place in Rome early December last year.

Ocean noise, which is caused primarily by shipping, oil and gas exploration and military sonars is a serious threat for all marine mammals, has doubled each decade for the past 40 years!

Blue whales once had the possibility to communicate half around the globe but this capacity has been reduced by 90 percent now. The oceans absorb Greenhouse gases like CO2 from the atmosphere but as the oceans become more acidic, sounds will travel farther, especially low-frequency sounds, used by whales and other marine mammals to mate and to find their prey. In a communique of the UN Environment Programme a study found that sounds from seismic surveys using powerful airguns travelled more than 3000km from the source!

'Ocean noise' is a hot potato as it is necessary to find a balance between national security and the protection of the vulnerable marine mammals. The Whalesong Project believe that national security is important, AND that national security depends on a healthy environment and healthy relations with other nations on the planet we share.

December 31, 2008 - Happy New Year - the buoy is doing better...

Well, a lot of people are wondering why the buoy isn't webcasting this year's whale songs yet. She was working and looking great a week and a half ago. The ocean has taken a toll on some of the electronics and things that were working became intermittent or quit working as we tested. The testing is important because it's really hard to fix things out in the ocean, and it's not easy to bring her in. We have been giving her a lot of TLC, and we are grateful for the launch crew who has been standing by faithfully. We wanted her in the water by Christmas. We worked some late nights through the holidays and Dan got a cold... and that is slowing the launch date right now.

Pictured in this post are Shelly Stevens, our anchorwoman, with the line that will tether the buoy, me testing the electronics, the audio section of the buoy being repaired on my kitchen table on Christmas day, Pualani Cabral and Samuel David with the buoy, parts, etc.

Expect her to be working early in the New Year. And please take good care of your precious selves and our precious planet.

December 25, 2008 - Happy Holiday Season!

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

Dan Sythe reports from Maui: "We have been working through the holidays to get Hokumoanalani back in the ocean. We had some unexpected issues with the audio and radio components of the system. As of last night, I think all issues are resolved except putting it all back together. I am trying to restrain myself from working too much on Christmas day, but some progress is being made. I hope we will have her back in the ocean as early as this weekend, after a little more testing. It's tough to service her in the ocean, so we hope to have everything working well enough to last the whole season.

Thanks to every one who has helped refurbish her. She's looking good! Pictured here are Pualani Trisha Cabral, who has put major time into the project this year, and Shawn Ardoin, our artist. Shawn has added a playful touch to Hokumoanalani this year. Shawn's art is featured in galleries in Hana and Paia, Maui, Honolulu, and Tahiti. Thank you Trisha and Shawn, and special thanks to Samuel David, who did a lot of heavy lifting, electrical wiring and painting this year. Samuel's CD of whale music is just being released. He and his partner Amber are donating some money from each CD sold to The Whalesong Project. 

Much aloha to all of our friends out there,
Dan"

December 17, 2008 - How whales sing...

According to Dr. Fred Sharpe, who studies humpback whales in their feeding grounds where they also make a feeding call, or siren, the animals produce sounds using their larynx sacs mechanisms. No vocal cords, but not needed! Researchers believe it is possible the singing does not have anything to do with competition, but may have more to do with keeping this population connected over great distances. Way back in early November a handful of males were heard singing. Now there are many voices who have joined in.

Thanks to Katie for this information. Read all of her postings here.

We are working on full speeds to get our system back into the water. Dan is writing in with wet paint on his hands from painting the dish antenna. We are having the hydrophone, amp, rf systems up and running and are working on eliminating noise and running the system on land until we launch, and we are hoping that could be as early as the end of this year.

December 8, 2008 - Whalesong Board Meeting

The Whalesong Project Board of Directors had an inspiring meeting on Sunday evening, Hawaiian time. Dan Sythe, Executive Director, reports as we go into our 2008–2009 season:

"Hokumoanalani has been painted and 'lettered', and the battery pack and wiring below deck has all been renewed and tested. Artist Shawn Ardouin, who is featured in galleries on Maui, O'ahu and Tahiti, did the lettering this year in a colorful splash that is playful for the child in all of us...

'Auntie Nona Beamer', Whalesong Project Founding Board Member passed on this last spring, and is greatly missed.  Her inspiration lives on, and her spirit of Aloha will continue to be a guiding light in our organization.

On a happier note, Board Member George Kahumoku won his third Grammy Award in the Hawaiian Music category this year! Congratulations George.

I had a very happy meeting with Board Member Markus Enderle with Silke and son Samuel in California. We have missed them on Maui and hope they will return soon.  Their participation from Germany has been critical to keeping the project alive, and their spirit buoys us.

I'm also happy to report that more and more young people are volunteering for the project, including an entire girl scout troop!

Board issues: While June Sythe and Colleen Furukawa resigned from the Board, we nominated Susan Boatright for the Board of Directors. Gail Nickerson requested that we find a Treasurer who lives on Maui to simplify the accounting process and Susan volunteered to take over for the position.  We are happy to report that Gail will stay on as Secretary. Gail is literally the anchor for the project, handling all meetings and legal aspects of being a 501C3 nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS.  She has done an excellent job of setting up and handling our accounting, etc. under challenging conditions. Thank you, Gail!!!!

I want to thank each of you for being part of this project. My appreciation is deep and wide like the oceans. We exist because of each of your love and contribution towards making it a reality."

November 14, 2008 - Buoy progress and oceans in danger

Dan, founder of the Whalesong project reports from Maui, Hawaii:

We are entering a new whale season, and optimistic that our new President and Congress will move America in a direction that is healthier for America and the World. In recognition of the fact that what happens on land affects the health of the oceans, we are working on some initiatives related to clean energy and sustainability we will share with you as this season progresses.

You can see from these photos that we are on the move and working on getting Hokumoanalani back in the ocean. Samuel and Gerhardt (a visiting volunteer from Germany) opened her up for inspection and Samuel has given her a first coat of paint. I put a microphone in the ocean yesterday and heard a lone distant whale singing.

We are saddened by news of the Supreme Court decision on Navy sonar use, which we feel is unbalanced. I want to repeat that we at The Whalesong Project believe that national security is important, AND that national security depends on a healthy environment and healthy relations with other nations on the planet we share. We feel more emphasis should be placed on international cooperation to protect the environment and to reduce the need to use dangerous technologies that are harmful to the whales and other sea life. I met recently with Senator Daniel Inouye, and again expressed to him these concerns, and reminded him of the need to fully investigate whether sonar use is related to the recent whale strandings in Hawai'i.
We are grateful to be here, amazingly, for our ninth season of bringing the live songs of Maui's Kohola (humpback whales) to the world. Thanks to all of you who help make this possible with your contributions of money, time, wisdom.

November 12, 2008 - Learn more about the song of the humpback whale

The humpback whale song is one of the most complex, non-human, acoustic displays in the animal kingdom. Whale Trust, a Maui-based non-profit organization dedicated to bridging marine research with environmental education and conservation programs related to whales and their natural environment, put together a wonderful website: learn more about the song of the humpback whale here.

November 11, 2008 - Play the humpback whale migration game

The Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has developed 'The Migration Game'.

Humpback whales hold the record for the longest migration amoung mammals. Play the game to learn about this migration and how you can protect these awesame animals!

October 12, 2008 - First whale of the season spotted

First humpback spotted last week in the Auau channel and another juvenile off Kona! We are more than happy to see them back in Hawaiian waters. The Whalesong team is working real hard to get the hydrophone back into the water. It is a challenge to get the system working again. Please stay tuned and check back again for live whale songs.