Beach clean-ups, whale counts...
There are dozens of non-profits who are linked to from this blog.
Read through and find one that you would like to participate in.... do more research to be sure it's the best fit for you!
Do your part as a citizen-activist to be for ocean-ecology and marine environments that support sea creatures!
Siren
The 2025 Ocean Counts are scheduled for the following Saturday’s:
A recent article on the whale count (lots of other marine animals noted too!)
KAUAI NEWS : JANUARY 2024 HAWAII WHALE COUNT
Excerpt: n Saturday, 402 volunteers gathered data statewide from 44 sites across the Hawaiian Islands. A total of 315 whales were observed from 9 to 9:15 a.m., the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.
On the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Molokaʻi and Hawai‘i, Ocean Count volunteers collected data from 32 sites; a total of 174 whales were observed during the 9 to 9:15 a.m.
On Maui and Lānaʻi, Great Whale Count volunteers collected data from 12 sites during 15-minute intervals between 8:30 and 11:50 a.m. A total of 141 whales were observed during the 9 to 9:15 a.m. time period.
On Kaua‘i, the total number of whales observed during the day’s count was 292, on O‘ahu, the total was 604, on Molokaʻi, the total was 30 and on Hawai‘i 324.
The total number for the Great Whale Count on Maui was 821, and on Lānaʻi was 53, for a grand total of 2,124 throughout the state. This number may represent duplicate sightings of the same whale by different observers or at different time periods or different locations throughout the day.
There is still time to volunteer.
The whale count is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the AMERICAN CETACEAN SOCIETY and is staffed by trained volunteers from that society as well as the Cabrillo Whalewatch Program. They record weather data once an hour and watch for whales from Point Vicente (where there is a lighthouse) from December 1st through late May, seven days a week.
Excerpt: Spotters also detail migratory behaviors observed, including breaching, spyhopping, rolling, courtship, apparent nursing, possible feeding, and interaction with kept and with other marine mammals. Participants also note possible human impacts on gray whales, including boat interactions, possible harassment incidents, and entanglements. In addition we identify and record behaviors of any other marine mammals that utilize these waters including common dolphin, Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, Risso's dolphin, northern right whale dolphin, Dall's porposide, sperm whales, minke whales, humpback whates, blue whales, fin whales, California sea lions, harbor seals, northern elephant seals, and southern sea otters.
PHYS ORG NEWS : GRAY WHALE POOULATION DECLINE
EXCERPT: NOAA Fisheries reported that surveys counted about 6,000 fewer migrating whales last winter, 21,000 as compared with 27,000 in 2016.
The agency declared an "unusual mortality event" in 2019 as dozens of gray whales washed up on Pacific Ocean beaches.