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Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary - Hawaii

Published by Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2016-01-25T00:00:00.000+00:00
Boundaries of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS). Created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii. The sanctuary lies within the shallow (less than 600 feet), warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands and constitutes one of the world's most important humpback whale habitats. Through education, outreach, research and resource protection activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii. It is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with the State of Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). For further information, please see: http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov

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