Pacific Whale Foundation’s Ocean Defender operates in the calm waters of Hervey Bay, supporting research, education, and responsible whale watching in one of the world’s premier humpback whale habitats.
As winter eases across Hawaiʻi, the Maui whale watching season begins its close. This year’s heavier rains brought a more challenging ocean, a reminder that nature sets the rhythm. Yet one truth remains: if North Pacific humpback whales return to these warm, protected waters, Maui will continue to stand among the world’s most extraordinary destinations … Continued
How Impact Moves Policy Change and Community Engagement If you haven’t read our first blog covering the first five steps of the Science-to-Action Pipeline check it out! Pacific Whale Foundation’s Science-to-Action Pipeline begins with rigorous research designed to better understand whales, dolphins, and the ecosystems they depend on. Through long-term monitoring and collaborative studies, our … Continued
How Pacific Whale Foundation Achieves Impact At Pacific Whale Foundation, our approach to conservation connects science, education, and action. Research provides the foundation, but meaningful protection for whales and dolphins happens when scientific knowledge is translated into public awareness, community engagement, and informed management decisions. To ensure this happens, we follow a process that links the … Continued
Experiencing the ocean around Maui is unforgettable,but choosing how you explore it can make a meaningful impact. Born from decades of hands-on marine research, PacWhale Eco-Adventures grew out of the early educational whale watches that helped fund critical science and that pioneering model continues today. As the social enterprise wholly owned by Pacific Whale Foundation … Continued
The Global Movement That Saved the Whales Whales have long stirred the human imagination. From their presence in Hawaiian legends to their portrayal in classics like Moby-Dick, these giants of the sea embody both mystery and inspiration. Yet by the late 1970s, reality overshadowed myth: humpback whales were on the brink of extinction. In the … Continued
Each year, North Pacific humpback whales embark on an incredible migration, traveling thousands of miles from Alaska’s feeding grounds to Hawaii’s warm waters to breed and give birth. Once pushed to the brink of extinction by commercial whaling, they now stand as symbols of resilience and hope. In recognition of their ecological importance, Pacific Whale … Continued
Recently, Pacific Whale Foundation member and donor Erick Wand spotted an entangled whale off the west coast of Maui and took action. Read about the encounter below. Mahalo Erick. His story highlights the fact that anyone can make a difference! It’s up to all of us. Check out our wildlife viewing guidelines and reporting numbers … Continued
Puerto Lopez is as small fishing village nestled in a small bay off the Pacific coast of the Ecuadorian Province of Manabí. Each year from June through October, humpback whales make their 7,500-mile migration along the coastline to mate and give birth in the warmer waters of the north from their feeding grounds in the … Continued
On January 19, 2022, off the coast of Maui, Hawai‘i, an unprecedented event was recorded for the first time — two humpback whales copulating. While this observation is remarkable on its own, this story has a remarkable twist – the encounter involved two male whales. Humpback whales have long been subjects of fascination for researchers … Continued
During a tranquil lunch on the ocean, following our morning transect surveys, our research team witnessed an unexpected event in the midst of observing a nearby group of humpback whales. The team realized that the whales were headed toward them and decided to put their camera in the water to document the behavior. What they … Continued
