The Phonautograph and Precursors to Edison's Phonograph. An 1859 Koenig phonautograph. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.) While Thomas Edison is rightly credited with the invention of the cylinder phonograph and the means of playing back sound, his ideas were clearly influenced by numerous others who preceded him.
The best time to go whale watching in Oahu is November through May, as these months see the arrival of the humpback whales on their migration from Alaska. These creatures can weigh up to 45 tons, and marine specialists estimate that some 10,000 of them spend their winters near the Hawaiian islands.
The peak season for whale watching on Maui is January, February, and March, though whale season in Maui officially runs from December 15-May 15. Early in the season, the first sightings are usually of males who have made the swim from Alaska, awaiting the females who usually show up between Thanksgiving and Christmas.