A crash course for whales

Hawaii’s navigational hazards usually run to shoals, reefs and other vessels. But from December through April, another obstacle surfaces: humpback whales. The local whale-watching industry has come under scrutiny since the Christmas Day death of a 3-year-old boy, who reportedly hit his head after the boat in which he was riding either collided or had a close encounter with a humpback off Oahu. The boy’s family has filed a lawsuit against the boat’s captain and owners, claiming negligence.

Then on Jan. 5, a fisherman off Maui was knocked unconscious after an apparent collision with a humpback. All Sandy Parker remembers was seeing the whale surface about 20 feet in front of his boat and turning to try to avoid hitting it. He woke up with head injuries that required 20 stitches and 12 staples to close.

With Hawaii’s humpback population growing 7% annually, the number of collisions has jumped from two between 1975 and 1984 to 13 from 1995 to 2003, said David Mattila, science and rescue coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The Christmas incident is the first known to have resulted in a fatality.

Humpbacks, which can weigh as much as 45 tons, often surface and breach near boats, which is the appeal -- and risk -- of lingering in their midst.

-- Pete Thomas