May 24, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
It’s Endangered Species Day! This is a time to celebrate the threatened and endangered species in the Pacific Islands region and renew our dedication to protecting and conserving them! With that in mind, we’re bringing you some interesting—and perhaps surprising—facts about our protected species. We’re and sharing how you can help make sure they’re around for future generations to enjoy.
Here’s why we think the threatened and endangered species in the Pacific Islands region are some of the most interesting animals on the planet!
1. False killer whales like to share!
These closely bonded animals not only share their prey with one another, but they’ve also been known to approach human snorkelers and divers with offerings from their fresh catch.
False killer whales are the least abundant species of toothed whale in Hawai‘i. And of the three populations that live here, the main Hawaiian Islands insular population is listed as endangered with fewer than 200 individuals remaining. While encounters are rare, we encourage you to report sightings at the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840.
Check out the 2020 field update from our partners at Cascadia Research Collective
2. Male hawksbill sea turtles spend their lives at sea and are rarely observed or tagged.
The hawksbill population of Hawaiʻi may be the most endangered turtle population in the world. There are fewer than 200 known adult female hawksbill sea turtles (honuʻea) in Hawaiʻi, but scientists don’t know how many males are out there. They suspect the number may be small because only around 20 percent of Hawaiʻi hawksbills that strand (are dead or injured) on the beach are male. What’s more, incubation temperature determines a hatchling’s sex: high temperatures produce females, suggesting fewer males will be born as global temperatures increase. Report all honu‘ea sightings to RespectWildlife@noaa.gov.
