The URL for this Introductory Page was originally http://web.mac.com/leetepley/iweb Somehow, it was mysteriously changed to http://web.mac.com/leetepley/Site/Introduction.html I discovered the change on 1-4-08 - but Google has not yet discovered it. Please tell your friends about the current URL and, even better, if you have a website of your own, please link to the new URL. Maybe Google will then acknowledge the existence of my website The purpose of the many pages of this website is present scientifically accurate data showing why the Hawaii Superferry will be a serious threat to Humpback whales in Hawaiian waters. The Superferry should have been required to do an environmental impact statement before being permitted to operate - but because of political corruption in the executive, legislative and possibly the judicial system, the Superferry has been made exempt from all environmental laws. In fact, a new and unconstitutional law was recently passed for the sole purpose of helping the Superferry. It is hoped that future legal action will reverse this governmental insanity. In fact, “Maui Tomorrow Foundation, inc.” - represented by attorney Isaac Hall - is again taking the Superferry to court in Feb. 2008. Your financial support is needed. Please send contributions to Irene Bowie Maui Tomorrow Fondation P.O. Box 299, Makawao Hi 96768 Now onto some data on why the Hawaii Superferry will be a threat to Humpback Whales The Hawaii Superferry company (HSF) has promised to try to avoid hitting whales. This has satisfied the local corrupt politicians - but HSF has no way of keeping it’s promise. In reality, the Superferry will be pretty much “flying blind”. Whales and other marine mammals will have little chance of getting out of the way because the Superferry will charge through the water at very high speeds. Observers with binoculars will be able to spot whales far in front of the fast moving Superferry. The Superferry may, in fact, have time to slow down or turn. But observers will not see whales directly under the surface (the pontoons extend down 14 ft.) and the Superferry will not see - or be able to avoid - whales that surface in front of the Superferry. Originally the HSF had planned to use sonar to help the Superferry detect whales beneath the surface. But some time ago the company announced that it would not use sonar after it learned that sonar could injure the same whales that the Superferry would like to avoid hitting. Hence HSF should have been in real trouble because - despite it’s promises- the Superferry will essentially be “flying blind”. But, in fact, the company is not in trouble at all because the politicians and policy makers have ignored the fact that - without Sonar - the Hawaii Superferry will have no effective way to avoid hitting whales. In Addition, the Superferry will often travel at night which will make it almost impossible for it to detect whales - despite HSF’s claims for the effectiveness of radar and night vision binoculars. The links at the top of this page will take you to other pages giving a lot more information on why the Superferry will be a threat to Humpback Whales. Two of these pages include videos. Other pages include short scientific papers and references to longer scientific papers. There are other web sites that provide additional information about many other problems associated with the Superferry - such as transfer of invasive species between the Hawaiian Islands, traffic jams from vehicles entering and exiting the Superferry , etc. Other Websites The Superferry Impact Website provides excellent and comprehensive information over a wide range of problems which will be caused by the Superferry. Go to http://www.superferryimpact.com Karen Chun has an excellent website which concentrates on the many problems the Superferry will bring to Kahalui harbor on Maui. It also covers many other superferry problems. Go to http://www.SaveKahuluiHarbor.com/ferry.php Please notify me of other Superferry Websites. My e-mail address is leetepley@earthlink.net The two Superferry videos on other pages of this web site contain film and video footage shot by Lee Tepley. For information on this and similar footage go to http://home.earthlink.net/~leetepley/ The picture below shows a baby Humpback whale swimming above it’s mother and just below the surface. This is very common and makes the baby Humpback whales especially vulnerable to being struck by one of the pontoons of the Superferry which reach down 14 feet below the surface of the water.

The picture below shows a fast ferry similar to the coming Hawaii Superferry. This ferry - and two similar ferries - are thought to be responsible for the deaths of many Sperm whales in the waters of the Canary Islands

Links to all pages are given at the top of each page