KIHEI — Marine mammal officials yesterday continued to monitor a pod of pygmy killer whales that was lingering about 100 to 150 yards off the north Kihei coast.

The whales’ behavior could signal that an animal is sick and preparing to strand or beach itself, said Wendee Goo, spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We are standing by so if something were to happen, we can respond immediately,” she added. “These are deep-water animals. They are rarely seen around the shoreline area or at least close to shore.”
Goo said the three to five whales were moving from place to place in north Kihei, but declined to specifically pinpoint the locations because that might draw a crowd of people trying to catch a glimpse of the whales while the Marine Mammal Stranding Network is monitoring the situation.
Goo said officials want people to stay at least 150 feet away from the animals, for the safety of onlookers and the whales.
There have been reports of pygmy killer whales swimming near the Kihei shore since last week.
Although Goo said she cannot positively confirm that it is the same pod, she said officials believe it is.
According to NOAA Fisheries, pygmy killer whales are small members of the dolphin group and can reach a length of 8feet and weigh up to 380 pounds.
The whales, which are rarely seen, have small heads with a rounded melon that extends in front of the mouth and there is no discernible beak.
Randy Awo, Maui Branch chief of the state’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, said ocean safety officers on personal watercrafts shooed the whales away last week, but “they returned Sunday and as of (Tuesday) they were still there.”
Awo said there were reports of standup paddle boarders going close to the whales, but DLNR officers did not observe that.
Pygmy killer whales are found primarily in deep waters throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world, according to NOAA. There are around 800 pygmy killer whales in Hawaii.
Pygmy killer whales, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.