Contest Alert: Predict the 2011 Hawaii Humpback Whale Arrival

It’s about that time of year for humpback whales to begin trickling in to Hawaii’s protected waters. Officially, whale season doesn’t begin until mid-December, but seems that there’s always some whales that just can’t wait to get back to Hawaii. Can you relate?

September 16th is the earliest recorded humpback arrival to Hawaii. Normally, the first sighting is in October. The following list shows the first sightings in recent years:

  • 2006 – October 11
  • 2007 – October 7
  • 2008 – October 8
  • 2009 – October 20
  • 2010 – October 20

We must continue our annual tradition of guessing the first humpback arrival in Hawaii with a contest! This year’s prize is a copy of Discovering Humpback Whales of Hawaii – 125 Fun Facts About Humpbacks.

Here’s how the 2011 contest will work:

  • Pick the earliest date you think the first whale sighting will be this year.  Enter your prediction in the comments for this blog post. (Sorry facebook friends, but this time only blog comments will be eligible. It’s easier for me to keep track of all the guesses in one spot here on the blog.)
  • The closest prediction without going over will win a prize.
  • You must use a valid email address so that I can contact you when/if your prediction is correct. Note that your email address will not be visible on the comment.
  • In the event of a tie, I will randomly select a winner from the tied predictions.
  • We’ll use Hawaii newspapers and news stations as our source to determine when the first whale has been seen this season.
  • One entry per person will be accepted.
  • Anyone from around the world is eligible to enter. One year our winner was from Milano, Italy.
  • Entries will be accepted through October 1, 2011.  In the event that the first whale sighting is before October 1, 2011, valid entries will accepted through the day before the reported sighting.

When do you predict Hawaii will have this year’s first sighting?  Enter your prediction in the comments!

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