PRESENTERS

CHURASHIMA FOUNDATION

A Brief Tour of Humpback Whale Research in Japanese Waters

Dr. Nozomi Kobayashi is a chief research scientist at Okinawa Churashima Foundation in Okinawa, Japan and conducts and manages research studies on marine mammal conservation. She has conducted ecological studies on humpback whales in Okinawa including distribution, migration timing, diurnal patterns in song, and interchanges between Okinawa and other sighting areas in Japan and overseas. She has been trained in marine mammal acoustics, photo ID studies, and stranding response techniques in Okinawa and Ogasawara Islands. Since 2020 she has served as the representative researcher of Japan on the steering committee of an international research project on humpback whales throughout the North Pacific Ocean. Nozomi has been sharing the findings of her extensive research with the public through lectures and other events. She is also working with local tourism operators to create whale watching rules and management practices.

Soul of the Ocean

Howard and Michele Hall specialize in underwater natural history film production for television and IMAX/Giant Screen. They have produced numerous award-winning television films for PBS Nature, National Geographic, the BBC, and other broadcasters, and are the recipients of seven Emmy Awards. Award winning IMAX films produced and/or directed by Howard and Michele include Into the Deep, Island of the Sharks, Deep Sea 3D, and Under the Sea 3D. Howard is a member of the Directors Guild and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Michele is a member of the Woman Divers Hall of Fame and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. They are honorees of the 2016 Hans Hass Fifty Fathoms Award, and both are recipients of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences’ NOGI Award.

ED

MSc HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

Highlights and Updates on Large Whale Entanglement Response Efforts and Associated Tools and Techniques from Over the Years in Hawai’i

Ed Lyman is currently the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s Natural Resource Specialist and acts as the region’s Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator under NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. Ed has worked with NOAA, state agencies, and non-profits in addressing the large whale entanglement threat for over 25 years. His efforts encompass Alaska, the East and West Coasts, Hawai'i and other countries. Ed has participated in over 120 disentanglement efforts and helped free more than 70 marine animals from life-threatening entanglements. He and the Sanctuary coordinate a community-based network to provide safe and authorized response to entangled whales around the main Hawaiian Islands.

Drones for Whale Research and the Adventures of SnotBot

Chris Zadra is the Drones for Whale Research Program manager for Ocean Alliance, Inc., a non-profit founded in 1971 and based in Gloucester, MA. At Ocean Alliance, Chris works to develop and facilitate the adoption of novel, noninvasive UAV-based tools for marine mammal research and conservation. Chris frequently joins research teams across the globe to assist in challenging UAV-based marine mammal data collection methods such as exhaled breath collections or UAV-based tag deployments. He has been primary pilot in over a dozen field projects, collected UAV-based exhaled breath samples from 7 different whale species including bottlenose dolphins, and developed and piloted a novel UAV-based suction cup tag deployment method that has been used successfully on 4 different large whale species in 2022. Chris created and manages the @SnotBot Instagram page and enjoys doing aerial cinematography for TV and documentaries.

Population Units of Humpback Whales in the Mexican Pacific

Dr. Jorge Urbán is a Professor in the Department of the Coastal and Marine Sciences of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur at La Paz, B.C.S. where he has worked for 35 years. He began his research on whales in 1982 when he initiated the first long-term study on Mexico’s humpbacks. Jorge has presented papers on this topic at more than one hundred international meetings and has written more than 150 scientific publications about Mexico’s Pacific whales and dolphins. He is co-chair of the Subcommittee of Whale Watching of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, a member of the Cetacean Specialist Group of the IUCN, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (USA).

ROSENWAKS,

Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Ocean

Gaelin Rosenwaks is a marine scientist, explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and author. Alarmed by the changes happening in the oceans, Gaelin founded Global Ocean Exploration, Inc. to share her passion for ocean exploration, marine conservation, and storytelling. She now participates and conducts expeditions in every ocean to alert the public not only to the challenges facing the oceans, but also to what science is doing to understand these changes. A Fellow of the Explorers Club and Royal Geographical Society and Member of the Society of Women Geographers, she has published articles in scientific journals, newspapers and magazines and has delivered lectures at global conferences and many institutions. A childhood experience seeing a Sperm Whale has led her on her current quest to reconnect with these ocean giants and to her first book of photography, “Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Oceans” (Rizzoli 2022).

The Camera and the Whale: A Personal Family History of Whale Photography, 1963-Today

Flip Nicklin was born with both diving and photography in his blood. His grandfather dove while wearing hardhat gear for construction. His father, Chuck, is a diver and underwater cinematographer, who taught his sons to become scuba divers. By the age of fourteen, Flip was helping his father teach people to dive off of the coast of Southern California, in La Jolla. He has spent his career specializing in the photography of marine mammals, especially whales and dolphins. Through 20+ National Geographic feature articles since 1982 he has worked closely with top whale researchers from around the world. From this work Flip brings a unique, global perspective on the study of whales to Whale Trust. Flip has assisted on studies of humpback whales in Hawaii since the 1980s, and lives in Maui for a portion of each year. Flip was named Photographer Of The Year for 2012 by the North American Nature Photography Association.

JOELLE DE WEERDT, PhD In-Progress ASSOCIATION ELI-S/Vrije Universiteit Brussel State of the Art Research & Conservation on Humpback Whales in Central America

Joëlle is a Belgian marine biologist pursuing a PhD in Marine Biology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium. She started her career as a marine mammal biologist in 2010 and began her own research project with her non-profit organization Association ELI-S (@Association.elis) that she founded in 2016. Through Association ELI-S, Joëlle established the Cetacean Conservation Project of Nicaragua is a community-based conservation initiative based on a scientific program that gathers baseline data on whales and dolphins occurring along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua (Central America). Including local communities in her project is essential for environmental conservation. Through her self-funded PhD, she is working to understand population dynamics, distribution, and habitat use patterns of cetaceans and especially humpback whales.

JEAN-MICHEL COUSEAU, OCEAN FUTURES SOCIETY

Since first being “thrown overboard” by his father at the age of seven with newly invented SCUBA gear on his back, Jean-Michele has been exploring the ocean realm. The son of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel has investigated the world’s oceans aboard Calypso and Alcyone for much of his life. Honoring his heritage, Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society, a non-profit marine conservation and education organization that serves as a “Voice for the Ocean” by communicating the critical bond between people and the sea and the importance of wise environmental policy.

Marine Biologist, Educator, and Naturalist Holly S. Lohuis’ thirty-year career has taken her around the world with Jean-Michel Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society’s documentary and education team. She works for a variety of organizations including: Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s marine science and ocean connection programs, and Island Packers’ Floating Classroom and Whale Watching programs at the Channel Islands National Park. Throughout the work she does, Holly shares important ecological facts on why ocean health is critical for the sustainability of our water planet. As a member of Cousteau’s expedition team for over 25 years she has worked full-time with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s marine conservation organization, Ocean Futures Society since 2002.

LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD OF WHALES FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE!

Thanks to our partnership with BrandLive, Whale Tales is being livestreamed this year to continue to offer this educational opportunity to those who cannot attend on Maui.

Invite your friends and family to join you in this experience from afar! All videos will be available for 30-days post-event.

CATEGORY 2 CABIN FOR 2 ABOARD

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II

DEPARTING OCTOBER 7 or OCTOBER 26th, 2023

VALUE: $28,000

2 ROUND TRIP TICKETS TO ANY WEST COAST

DESTINATION ROAM MAUI FLIES ON BOARD A VIP-CONFIGURED 737-700

VALUE: $20,000

LEARN AND EXPLORE SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS OF NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY WITH WHALES AS YOUR MUSE (2 PASSENGERS)

FEBRUARY 21-24, 2023

VALUE: $4,400

2 NIGHT STAY IN DELUXE ROOM, DAILY BREAKFASTS AT ULANA RESTAURANT, DINNER FOR 2 AT THE BANYAN TREE, AMBASSADOR EXCURSION FOR 4 OR VIP POOL CABANA

VALUE: $3,440

Mahalo to all of our generous auction donors! Visit our auction page for a complete list of items and donors.

*This list reflect auction donors confirmed or recieved at the time of publishing.

Pacific Whale Foundation

Project Reef

Puka Perri

Rebecca Krannichfeld Art

ROAM Maui

Sage Wildlife

Maui Adventure Cruises

Maui Diver of Hawaii

Maui Escape Rooms

Maui Golf and Sports Park

Maui Nui Golf Club

Maui Ocean Center

Maui OnStage

Mendes Ranch Maui

Merriman's Restaurant Group

Moku Roots

Molokai Gallery

Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman's Old Lahaina Luau

Sea Maui

Stacy Vosberg

Star Noodle

Stella Jewels

Sue Coccia

Tea & Taro

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort

Tribe Maui

UFO Parasail & Adventure

Waikulu Distillery

Wild Side Specialty Tours

Windward Aviation

FOND Maui is a neighborhood eatery by Chef Jojo Vasquez located in Napili Plaza. Join us for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, 11am-9pm. Brunch is on Sundays, 10am-3pm. Sunday evenings feature a five-course tasting menu at our Chef’s Counter, advanced reservation required.

We are fond of our humpback whales and proud to be a partner for the 17th Annual Whale Tales event. Present your Event Pass from 2/17-18 for 10% off!

Limited to only eight guests per trip, this intimate 4-DAY experience includes daily private photo safaris with personal mentoring and instruction by Ralph Lee Hopkins, National Geographic photographer Flip Nicklin, and award-winning Alaska nature photographer Mark Kelley.

Over the last 7-years, Kohola Brewery has partnered with Whale Trust to host a bi-weekly Breaches and Brews Science Night to share the work of Whale Trust and others in Hawai'i. They've also created a beer called Breaches and Brews in which a portion of the proceeds are donated to our Beneficiaries Fund. Thank you Kohola Brewery for your support!

KOHOLABREWERY.COM

910 HONOAPIILANI HWY, #55 LAHAINA, HI