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Monitoring on whales continues
Marine mammal officials are continuing to monitor a pod of up to five pygmy killer whales that have been lingering approx 150 yards off the north Kihei coast, Hawaii. These animals are normally only seen in much deeper water and rarely seen near shore.
 The main concern is that the whales may strand or beach themselves. Rescuers are on stand-by in case this does occur and are ready to respond immediately. They are also urging members of the public not to get too close to the whales. A larger pod of pygmy killer whales were seen swimming near the Kihei shore last week but it’s not known if these animals are from the same group.
Pygmy killer whales are found primarily in deep waters throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world, with around 800 pygmy killer whales in Hawaii. Like all marine mammals, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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