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35 13 MILLION PEOPLE SPENT $2.1 BILLION WHALE WATCHING IN 2009 - THAT'S MORE THAN ALL THE MONEY EVER GENERATED BY THE WHALING INDUSTRY. Hawaii's whale watching industry plays a strong role in the state's economy, as it brings in over $20 million of revenue per year. Due to their growing population and amazing acrobatic behaviors, humpbacks are being given lots of credit for revenue and job growth in the islands. And, although whale watching cruises are available at most harbors around the state, Maui is one of the premier destinations in the world for whale watching. recent arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands. Although the chronology of humpbacks' debut requires additional research, they were intensively hunted among the Hawaiian Islands by colonial whalers beginning in the mid-1800's. Several whaling stations were situated on Maui, and they included employees of whaling companies that were manned exclusively by Native Hawaiians. The whaling industry took a severe toll on all whale populations throughout the world, particularly the sperm, blue and right whales. Ultimately, several events conspired to bring about a demise of whaling in the age of sail. First, in 1849, the California gold rush caused many whalers to abandon their ships. Then from 1861 to 1865 many northern whaling ships were sunk by southerners during the Civil War. And finally, the discovery of petroleum oil in 1859, plus ice disasters in Arctic, hastened the demise of whaling from tall ships. Although North Pacific humpback continued to be hunted by American, Soviet and Japanese whalers, relatively few of the classic sailing ships survived into the twentieth century. So where does that leave Lahaina and the whales? Well, today Lahaina is still a whale capital of sorts, but now it's for whale watching. In fact, it's estimated that approximately 6,000 to 7,000 of these wonderful creatures spend the winters in Maui's breeding and calving grounds. We even have our very own designated whale sanctuary: the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is the only preserve in the U.S. dedicated to a marine mammal. If you want to learn more about the whalers, and their experiences here on Maui, check out the Whalers Village Museum in Kaanapali. See where we were, and how far we have come today. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free! Have fun, and enjoy the humpbacks of Maui! The majesty of a north pacific adult humpback whale is something to behold. HISTORY OF WHALING Photo by Marty Wolff