Hawaii
A 136kg body part was just found floating in the ocean in Hawai’i | Discover Wildlife
Whale experts in Hawai‘i were astounded when they came across a whale placenta floating in the ocean and were able to pull it out of the water to study.
The team from Pacific Whale Foundation were out on their boat when they saw something strange at the surface. At first, they thought it was debris but when they inched closer, they realised that they had stumbled up on something remarkable.
The mysterious mass floating in the water was a whale placenta. Coming across a specimen like this is incredibly rare. “This tissue typically sinks quickly after being released from the mother,” says Jens Currie, Pacific Whale Foundation’s chief scientist.
Although the birth must have been very recent, there was no sign of mother or calf nearby. “It is thought that mothers and calves move away rapidly after birth, likely to avoid any predators that may be attracted by the afterbirth,” says Currie.
The crew quickly collected the placenta, which included a “large portion of the umbilical cord” and brought it onboard their boat (under permits #27099 and MMHSRP #24359) to take it back to the lab for scientists to study.
“The placenta weighed approximately 300 pounds [136 kg], making it one of the very few occasions in which a fully intact whale placenta has been measured and weighed,” he says.
The opportunity to study a specimen like this doesn’t come around often so the researchers are excited for the rare opportunity to process the sample and collect important data. “Whale placentas represent an extraordinary biological archive, offering rare insight into maternal health and the conditions experienced by a developing calf,” says Currie.
“This rare opportunity allows scientists to explore whale placental tissue in unprecedented detail, improving our understanding of reproduction and foetal development, and offering insight into environmental stressors that may affect whale populations later in life,” he adds.
The team is working alongside scientists from University of Hawaii’s Health and Strandings Lab and Griffith University to study the placenta. The experts were careful to take only what they needed.
“Approximately one percent of the tissue was carefully subsampled,” says Currie. “The majority of the placenta has been retained intact and will ultimately be returned to the ocean, following both cultural and scientific protocols.”
Their analysis includes taking measurements, photos and samples to see if the tissue contains contaminants, such as microplastics, mercury and ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS).
“Placental tissue offers a unique opportunity to better understand how these substances are distributed within the body and the extent to which developing calves may be exposed to contaminants before birth,” says Currie.
This finding isn’t just important for scientists. Taking a sample like this is a “sacred moment” in Hawaiian culture, so the team is careful to disturb the remains as little as possible. “We have a cultural advisor on staff and also work with a broader group of Indigenous cultural practitioners, Kiaʻi Kanaloa, who provide guidance and oversight,” explains Currie. “Any work involving bio-cultural materials is approached with care, restraint and respect.”
In line with Hawaiian culture, the whale’s i’o (flesh) will be respectfully returned to the sea at the spot it was found, says Currie: “Kiaʻi Kanaloa has provided the cultural protocol for returning the placenta to the sea, including the development of a ceremony for us to carry out that includes [the ceremonial prayers] Pule Mihi [and] Pule ʻAwa, and [the traditional practice of offering gratitude called] hoʻokupu.”
Top image: Hawai’i. Credit: Getty
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Maui dive shop will welcome customers back this weekend after its Lahaina storefront was destroyed in the 2023 wildfires.
Maui Diving & Sporting Goods will hold a grand opening on Ulupono Street on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
“Losing the shop in the fire broke my heart, but reopening in Lahaina was never in question,” said store owner Jessica Pickering. “This town gave me everything I have right now. Rebuilding right here in Lahaina is my way of saying we’re still standing, we’re still here for our community, and we’re ready to enjoy this life with you.”
The business will offer the same services it’s known for at the new locations, including scuba instruction, guided dives, snorkel tours, freediving, as well as gear rentals and sales.
The grand opening will include a blessing followed by giveaways, games, and other activities.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After Super Typhoon Bavi whipped through the northwestern Pacific over the weekend, volunteers with the American Red Cross are preparing to provide aid.
Traveling through Hawaii for a quicker connection, volunteer Deborah Blaze is among a handful of volunteers staying in Oahu as they await flights to the Northern Mariana Islands. Airport closures have delayed the timeline for volunteers headed to the archipelago.
Blaze is returning to the islands after joining Red Cross relief efforts in the aftermath of another Super Typhoon, Sinlaku, which caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damages there in April.
“The people are so phenomenal. That’s the reason I wanted to go back because I was in Saipan. I was managing a shelter and we became like a family,” Blaze recalled.
Sinlaku claimed 17 lives and displaced thousands, making it the deadliest storm in Micronesia since 2002.
When asked to describe the storm’s devastation, Blaze said, “It was like, it was like a post-war scenario when we first got there. All the trees are ripped off and houses are destroyed.”
As the islands continued to recover, Bavi whipped through the Northern Mariana Islands over the weekend with winds as high as 180 miles an hour.
“We had over a thousand people in the shelter. And when I talked to those residents, a lot of them said, you know, we’ll be back tonight,” Red Cross volunteer Peter Teahen said.
Teahen has been in Saipan since before Bavi’s arrival and drove around the island to assess damage Monday afternoon after a mandated lockdown was lifted.
Because Sinlaku left so much destruction, Teahen said it is unclear what Bavi left behind, adding the damages are, “just not obvious from, you know, just driving down the street. It was a common phrase that I heard. ‘We just have to clean up again.’ You can kind of hear the exhaustion in there.”
To ease the burden on those impacted, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers provided shelter, meals and supplies after Sinlaku and will do so again when it’s safe.
“I get a sense of a very positive culture here and very private culture that, they know that they’re going to have to take care of themselves, but they will need the help of the Red Cross,” Teahen said.
Aubry Hocog, mayor of Rota, an island hit hard by Bavi, told Hawaii News Now, “A lot of our utility poles have been damaged especially in the Songsong area and so really there’s going to be a lot of work that we are going to have to do, but we’re ready for that. I know that our people are concerned, our people are scared, our people are worried, but I know that by working together, communicating with each other, being transparent, that we can overcome this.”
Click here if you want to donate to the Red Cross’ relief efforts. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999.
If you want to become a volunteer, more information is available here.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Fried chicken fans have a reason to celebrate today as Popeyes Hawaii marks National Fried Chicken Day with a special one-day-only offer.
On Monday, July 6, participating Popeyes locations across Hawaii are offering five pieces of Signature Chicken for just $5, while supplies last. The deal includes a mix of legs and thighs and is limited to one order per customer and one per vehicle, with no substitutions.
Popeyes says the promotion is a fun way for customers to enjoy its signature crispy, Louisiana-style fried chicken at a value price while celebrating the national food holiday.
The offer is available today only at participating Popeyes Hawaii restaurants including Aiea, Waipahu (Waikele), Kunia, Kapolei, Kailua, Kaneohe, and Pāhoa (Big Island). The offer is limited to one per vehicle in the drive-thru and one order per customer for dine-in, while supplies last.
For more information and participating locations, visit popeyeshawaii.com.
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