Latest news with #HawaiiPacificUniversity
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch: Potential albino pygmy killer whale spotted off Hawaii
HONOLULU (KHON) — Whale watchers around Hawaii are crossing their fingers for another glimpse of what could be an albino whale. This particular whale species known as Blackfish resides in Hawaii year round, but what divers saw on March 28 off Makaha was an extremely rare sighting, according to marine biologists. 'We noticed there was a white baby with them,' said Travis Woo, a safety diver on Iruka Hawaii Dolphin Snorkeling Tours. 'My initial reaction was euphoria.' 'It's one of four species that we call Blackfish — because they're all kind of black in color and hard to distinguish,' said Dr. Jessica Jacob, assistant professor at Hawaii Pacific University. 'Based on the shape of the fin and the white lips, I would say it's a pygmy killer whale.' Experts said there has never been a sighting of a true albino whale of any species in Hawaii. There have been more common sightings of leucistic or lighter colored whales, however. 'It is potentially an albino individual, but there's really only two ways to confirm that. One is to do genetic sampling and look for that mutation that would cause a lack of pigmentation and lack of melanin production, which produces the color of individuals. Or, sometimes, you can examine the eyes of those individuals and the lack of color in their eyes makes them appear pink,' said Pacific Whale Foundation Chief Scientist Jens Currie. The Cascadia Research Institute stated the calf is in pretty rough shape with major sunburns and blistering. Jacob said it's hard for albino whales to reach adulthood because they are easier prey for predators. Maui dog makes an unlikely friend — a whale 'Usually these dolphins, they go and hunt … kind of far off shore and we don't see them that often, but we're seeing them hanging in closer to shore trying to guard this calf,' Woo said. 'So, they're sticking with it. We're all rooting for it and hopefully it makes it. It's unlikely, but it is possible.' These whale species are protected and it is illegal to come within 100 feet of the animals, according to marine biologists. 'If they approach you, that's different. You know, if you're idling, but you're not allowed to approach them,' Jacob said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Potential albino pygmy killer whale spotted in West Oahu
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Whale watchers are crossing their fingers for another glimpse of what could be an albino whale. 'We noticed there was a white baby with them,' stated Travis Woo, a safety diver on Iruka Hawaii Dolphin Snorkeling Tours. 'My initial reaction was euphoria.' Ala Moana restaurant employees locked out with no access to personal items This particular whale species known as blackfish resides in Hawaii year round, but what divers saw on March 28 off Makaha was an extremely rare sighting, according to marine biologists. 'It's one of four species that we call Blackfish because they're all kind of black in color and hard to distinguish,' said Dr. Jessica Jacob, assistant professor at Hawaii Pacific University. 'Based on the shape of the fin and the white lips, I would say it's a pygmy killer whale.' Experts said there has never been a sighting of a true albino whale of any species in Hawaii. There is however more common sightings of leucistic or lighter colored whales.'It is potentially an albino individual, but there's really only two ways to confirm that. One is to do genetic sampling and look for that mutation that would cause a lack of pigmentation and lack of melanin production, which produces the color of individuals. Or, sometimes, you can examine the eyes of those individuals and the lack of color in their eyes makes them appear pink,' said Pacific Whale Foundation Chief Scientist Jens Currie. The Cascadia Research Institute stated the calf is in pretty rough shape with major sunburns and blistering. Jacob said it's hard for albino whales to reach adulthood because they are easier prey for predators. Maui dog makes an unlikely friend — a whale 'Usually these dolphins, they go and hunt off of kind of far off shore and we don't see them that often, but we're seeing them hanging in closer to shore trying to guard this calf,' Woo said. 'So, they're sticking with it. We're all rooting for it and hopefully it makes it. It's unlikely, but it is possible.' These endangered species are protected and it is illegal to get within 100 feet of the animals, according to marine biologists. 'If they approach you, that's different. You know, if you're idling, but you're not allowed to approach them,' Jacob said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hawaii Pacific University opens first mainland campus in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Hawaii Pacific University brings the Aloha spirit to Las Vegas with its new campus in the southwest valley. The expansion of the Hawaii Pacific University represents a significant milestone in the University's 60-year history – marking its first campus on the U.S. mainland. 'To be able to bring Hawaii Pacific University here to Las Vegas, which some call the 9th island… we're just happy that we can contribute to the community, build the capacity of healthcare across the region,' Tricia Catalino, Dean of Graduate College of Health Sciences, said. Shaquilla King is a part of the university's inaugural class. A graduate of UNLV, King is earning her doctorate at Hawaii Pacific University with plans to become a pediatric occupational therapist. 'It's been an experience,' King said. 'I feel like getting to see the foundation being built was amazing. We didn't start off here, but finishing here, and seeing the program develop over this short amount of time has been an experience. I love it.' The Las Vegas campus features facilities designed to support the University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs. Among its features is an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite, equipped with a kitchen, living room, and bathroom, designed to provide real-world training for OTD students. Additionally, specialized lab spaces designed for the DPT program promote interprofessional education and collaboration, equipping students to address the evolving healthcare challenges of the future. 'These are our two healthcare-centric programs that we're starting here in Las Vegas because of the great need in this region for healthcare providers, especially physical and occupational therapists,' Catalino said. The university also offers a hybrid learning experience, allowing students to engage in online coursework and hands-on lab experiences. 'We really feel that it is an accessible way to learn,' Catalino said. 'We offer hybrid health science programs which allow our students to learn from home or wherever they might be and then come to Las Vegas to have hands-on learning during their lab-based immersions.' Hawaii Pacific University is now accepting applications for its August program. Financial aid and veteran benefits are available. To learn more about the Las Vegas OTD program, click here, and to learn more about the Las Vegas DPT program, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
17-02-2025
- General
- CNN
New photos show damage to US aircraft carrier after collision
New photos show the damage to a US Navy aircraft carrier sustained in a collision with a merchant ship last week. The warship USS Harry S. Truman docked at a US naval facility in Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs over the weekend following the incident near the entrance to the Suez Canal. Photos released by the Navy on Saturday show damage to the exterior starboard quarter of the 1,100-foot-long, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Damaged areas included 'the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space … a line handling space, the fantail, and the platform above one of the storage spaces,' the Navy said in a statement. None of the damage affects the ship's combat capability, the statement said, adding that it has conducted flight operations since the accident last Wednesday night. A team including structural engineers and naval architects is conducting a detailed assessment of the damage and would implement a repair plan, the Navy said, without offering a timetable for the repairs. The Truman collided with the Besiktas-M, a Panamanian-flagged, 617-foot (188-meter) long bulk carrier, in the crowded waters near the Suez Canal off Egypt's Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea. The merchant ship was also damaged, but no injuries were reported on either vessel, the Navy said following the collision near a crowded anchorage for ships transiting the canal. Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster, an instructor at Hawaii Pacific University, said such conditions leave little room for error. 'There is not a lot of room for maneuvering in a restricted seaway, and both ships require about one nautical mile to stop,' Schuster said. Small navigation mistakes, misreading of the other ship's intentions or delayed decision-making from the crew of either ship could have put them in danger quickly 'with very few viable options,' Schuster said. Before the accident, the Truman was in Souda Bay for a 'working port visit' after two months of combat operations in the Central Command region, a Navy statement said. During that time, it conducted multiple strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and launched airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the Truman's carrier strike group, which includes a guided-missile cruiser and three destroyers, said it remains operational across the region. 'Our mission has not changed and we remain committed to responding to any challenge in this dynamic and global security environment,' Bailey said in a statement.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New photos show damage to US aircraft carrier after collision
New photos show the damage to a US Navy aircraft carrier sustained in a collision with a merchant ship last week. The warship USS Harry S. Truman docked at a US naval facility in Souda Bay, Greece, for repairs over the weekend following the incident near the entrance to the Suez Canal. Photos released by the Navy on Saturday show damage to the exterior starboard quarter of the 1,100-foot-long, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Damaged areas included 'the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space … a line handling space, the fantail, and the platform above one of the storage spaces,' the Navy said in a statement. None of the damage affects the ship's combat capability, the statement said, adding that it has conducted flight operations since the accident last Wednesday night. A team including structural engineers and naval architects is conducting a detailed assessment of the damage and would implement a repair plan, the Navy said, without offering a timetable for the repairs. The Truman collided with the Besiktas-M, a Panamanian-flagged, 617-foot (188-meter) long bulk carrier, in the crowded waters near the Suez Canal off Egypt's Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea. The merchant ship was also damaged, but no injuries were reported on either vessel, the Navy said following the collision near a crowded anchorage for ships transiting the canal. Former US Navy captain Carl Schuster, an instructor at Hawaii Pacific University, said such conditions leave little room for error. 'There is not a lot of room for maneuvering in a restricted seaway, and both ships require about one nautical mile to stop,' Schuster said. Small navigation mistakes, misreading of the other ship's intentions or delayed decision-making from the crew of either ship could have put them in danger quickly 'with very few viable options,' Schuster said. Before the accident, the Truman was in Souda Bay for a 'working port visit' after two months of combat operations in the Central Command region, a Navy statement said. During that time, it conducted multiple strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and launched airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the Truman's carrier strike group, which includes a guided-missile cruiser and three destroyers, said it remains operational across the region. 'Our mission has not changed and we remain committed to responding to any challenge in this dynamic and global security environment,' Bailey said in a statement.
