When veteran whale watchers Bill and Edwina Doty arrived at the scenic overlook on Diamond Head Road yesterday for NOAA's annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary Ocean Count, they brought along a newcomer: Aussie, a 3-pound, 8-week-old black and tan Australian silky terrier, who was briefly the most doted-over mammal around.

"This is Aussie's first whale watch, but not his last," said Bill Doty, as Aussie snoozed in his arms. "We've done this for eight years — this will be our fourth year at Diamond Head. We'll be back next year. Aussie will be with us."

Like the Dotys, most of the other volunteers scattered about the Islands come to have a good time in addition to logging whale sightings.

Naomi McIntosh, who was nothing but smiles, was obviously having fun. McIntosh, 41, sanctuary superintendent, has done the whale watch more than anyone. That's because she started the watch for NOAA 12 years ago.

It all began with 150 volunteers at 26 sites on O'ahu, she said.

"It has really become a fun program for us just meeting all the people," she said. "I actually started the count in 1996 — not having any idea what it would turn into."

What it's turned into is around 60 lookout sites on three islands, and some 2,000 volunteers who do it for the enjoyment plus the knowledge that the work is important.

"When we do these counts we're looking at trends at different shore sites," McIntosh said. "We're not trying to get an overall abundance estimate of humpback whale. What we're really interested in is how well whales are utilizing different shore sites ... and what kinds of behaviors people can see from the shore site areas."

One trend she is pleased about is that the count of endangered humpback whales in Hawaiian waters has not only increased over the years, but the species appears to be doing well.

Christine Brammer, sanctuary ocean count coordinator said yesterday's weather conditions made it difficult to view whales from many of the 56 locations around O'ahu, Kaua'i and the Big Island.

The count was down 3 percent from last year, she said. A total of 63 whales were counted on the three islands, but she said some may have been counted twice.

In addition to whales, Brammer said volunteers spotted a variety of seabirds and other marine creatures, including dolphins and green sea turtles. Four monk seals were sighted on O'ahu alone.

"There's a monk seal right down there," said Janine Morgan, one of the Diamond Head lookout spotters, who was perched on a rock wall about 75 yards above the seal on the beach, who, like Aussie, seemed more interested in sleeping than joining the party.

Morgan's husband, Glenn, said the couple spends half the year living in Waikiki, and the rest of the year in Washington state. He said the two got started whale watching in Hawai'i a couple of years ago, and liked it so much they came back for more.

Not that there's not marine mammals to see in Washington.

"We see the orcas there," Glenn said. "Those are killer whales, you know."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.