A humpback whale slaps its tail on the surface of the water in this photo taken from the beach at Haycraft Park in Maalaea. The Maui News archive / Matthew Thayer

Nearly 500 volunteers gathering data for the Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count on Feb. 22 reported 262 humpback whale sightings from 9:30 to 9:45 a.m., the most of any time period throughout the day.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count and the Great Whale Count by Pacific Whale Foundation were coordinated on the same day for the seventh year, as 498 volunteers collected data from 44 sites across the Hawaiian islands.

On Kauai, 321 whales were observed during the day’s count. On Oahu, the total was 408. On Molokai, the total was 153, and Hawaii 263.

The total number for the Great Whale Count on Maui was 802, bringing the total number of whale sightings throughout the main Hawaiian islands on Feb. 22 to 1,947.

Organizers noted that the total could represent duplicate sightings of the same whale by different observers or at different times or locations throughout the day. The data collected will be combined with other research efforts to help better understand the humpback whales, which come to the Hawaiian waters each winter to mate, calve and nurse their young.

Both counts take place three times during peak whale season annually on the last Saturday in January, February and March.

During the day’s count, a variety of other species were also spotted including green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, monk seals, Hawaiian flying fish and multiple bird species.