Humpback whales are very large animals. Adults typically range in size from 35 to 48 feet, and weigh in at about one ton per foot.Their scientific name is Megaptera noveangliae .

World population for the species is estimated to be between 5,000 and 7,500 individuals. A large percentage of this population are the ones with which you are probably most familiar, as they migrate to the main Hawaiian islands during the winter months, November through May, each year. The round-trip distance they travel during this annual migration is approximately 6,000 miles, one of the longest migration distances of any animal species. During their stay in Hawaii, they do not feed, but rely upon energy stored in their blubber. Instead of feeding, the whales devote most of their time to mating and bearing their calves.

Hawaiian monk seals are one of only two mammals that are endemic, or found only in Hawaii. Adult seals weigh 400 to 600 pounds (females are generally larger) and feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans. Pups are black at birth, and grow at a rapid rate as they feed on their mother's rich milk. Mother doesn't eat the entire time that is spent nursing her pup...that means no meals for six weeks! By this time, poor hungry mom has lost almost a third of her of her weight, and the chubby pup has put on more than a hundred pounds! Imagine if your baby brother or sister weighed 150 pounds when he or she was only six weeks old.

Hawaiian monk seals are pinnipeds (PIN-uh-pedz). Pinniped means "winged feet", and with their flippers and sleek bodies, these mammals are well-adapted to life at sea.

Hawaiian name: ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, quadruped that runs in the rough seas.

Oceanic Whitetip is one of the more conspicuous sharks alive today is the ( Carcharhinus longimanus = [ maou ]). While many members of the family Carcharhinidae (to which the genus Carcharhinus belongs, along with about 11 other similar-looking genera) appear very similar to each other, this stocky shark stands out, primarily because of its fins. It has a large rounded dorsal fin and very long (hence its specific name longimanus ) paddle-like pectoral fins; all of these fins have a tip of whitish color on their ends, hence the species' common name. (It is has been suggested that the white markings may serve as a recognition signal, so that members of the species can recognize one of their own, and will not begin to hunt eachother!).

The whitetip can grow quite large; gigantic specimens may reach 3.5-3.95 m (11-13 ft), but most are less than 3 m (10 ft).

The whitetip has a short blunt snout, and its powerful jaws are filled with sharp serrated teeth.

The Pacific Green Sea Turtle Green sea turtles are agile swimmers, but on land they are cumbersome. Between May and August, female turtles clamber ashore in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to lay their eggs. The eggs incubate for 50 to 60 days. On a clear, moonlit night, the hatchlings dig themselves out of their nests and scramble to the water. Only 2 inches long, the tiny turtles must avoid ghost crabs, sea birds, and over fish.

Turtles are very successful creatures that have been swimming around for the past 200 million years. Fossils of the giant prehistoric turtle, Archelon , have been found in North America. Archelon was 12 feet long, with massive flippers! Today there are about 230 living species of turtles and tortoises.

Hawaiian name for turtle: Hawaiians are astute observers of nature. They recognized many species of plants and animals. The Pacific green sea turtle is called honu , while the Pacific hawksbill sea turtle is called ea or honu'ea .