Volume 3, Number 2
FREE
July/August, 2026
Hawaii’s False Killer Whales Facing Uncertainty E By Taryn Kama
very winter, thousands of visitors come to Maui hoping to see humpback whales breach and play in Hawaiian waters. Their remarkable recovery from near extinction has become one of conservation’s greatest success stories. Yet another marine mammal native to Hawai‘i is facing a very different future. Hawai‘i’s endangered false killer whales—despite their name, members of the dolphin family rather than true whales—are declining in both numbers and health. Fewer than 140 individuals remain in the unique island-associated population that calls the main Hawaiian Islands home. New research has revealed that some animals are losing extraordinary amounts of weight, raising concerns about whether they are finding enough food to survive. “This is a small population. There’s less than 140 individuals left, and they’re slowly declining,” said Jens Currie, Chief Scientist at Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF), PhD candidate in the Marine Biology Graduate Program, and lead author of the study. “We’re losing about five to six animals per year, and they’re on track for functional extinction within my lifetime if this trend continues.”
“We’re losing about five to six animals per year, and they’re on track for functional extinction.”
The study also highlights concerns about fishing pressure. False killer whales rely on many of the same fish targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries. Previous research has shown that roughly 30 percent of the population bears evidence of hooking or entanglement, while stranded animals have been found with fishing hooks A false killer whale , becoming increasingly rare, takes a leap off in their stomachs. Scientists say the animals face a the coast of Maui. Photo credit: Pacific Whale Foundation. combination of threats, including The seven-year study brought together scientists warming oceans, reduced prey availability, fisheries from Pacific Whale Foundation, the Marine Mammal interactions, and the challenges that come with being a Research Program at the University of Hawai‘i’s very small population. Institute of Marine Biology, and Japan’s Okinawa “When populations get this small, genetic diversity Churashima Foundation. Researchers tracked 68 becomes a concern,” Currie explained. “You have false killer whales—roughly half of the remaining fewer breeding individuals. Female false killer whales population—between 2019 and 2025 using dronealso reach menopause and only reproduce during a based photogrammetry. Published in Endangered limited portion of their lives, and they have long calving Species Research, the project is the first comprehensive intervals. That means the population recovers very effort to monitor body mass and physical condition. slowly, even if conditions improve.” Among the study’s most alarming findings was a “This study is a critical step in understanding whale that lost approximately 500 pounds—about 28 whether prey limitation is driving the extinction percent of its body weight—in just 10 weeks. risk for these whales,” Currie said. “Our findings “It wasn’t just that it looked skinny,” Currie said. “It suggest that many individuals are living on a thin had lost 500 pounds, a quarter of its body weight.” metabolic margin.” Researchers first noticed unusually thin animals To measure the whales’ condition, researchers during a severe marine heatwave in 2020, when used drones equipped with precision imaging warmer waters disrupted the ocean food web. False technology. The team then partnered with the Okinawa killer whales feed on large pelagic fish such as ahi, Churashima Foundation in Japan, where false killer mahi-mahi, ono and aku. Scientists believe warming whales in human care were scanned using advanced waters may be making prey harder to find, forcing Article continues on Page 4. whales to travel farther and burn more energy searching for food. “What we think we saw was patchier prey,” Currie said. “Instead of traveling 20 miles to find food, they Fire Survivor Celebrates Her New Home.........3 may have had to travel 40 miles.” Book Challenges Fire Status Quo ....................4 Unlike humpback whales, which naturally gain and lose large amounts of weight during migration, Keiki Camp Focuses on STEM...............................7 false killer whales are year-round residents of Events Calendar .........................................8-9 Hawaiian waters and are not adapted to dramatic Classified Ads................................................14 swings in body condition.
What's Inside:
A Pacific Whale Foundation researcher photographs a false killer whale.