What's New

Whale Tales Raises $30,000 to Support Maui Whale Research

Whale Tales 2013 Challenge Match Announced

Whale Trust Annual Golf Tournament Raises $14,000

Research Updates

Mahalo to National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions!

Meagan Jones Awarded Switzer Leadership Grant for Second Year!

Flip Nicklin Named Outstanding Photographer Of The Year In 2012

What's New at Whale Trust

 

Whale Tales News:

Whale Tales Raises $30,000 to Support Maui Whale Research

Whale Tales 2012 was another giant success – raising $30,000 in support of three non-profit organizations that specialize in humpback whale research off Maui: Whale Trust, Center for Whale Studies, and Hawaii Whale Research Foundation. Read more...

Challenge Match Announced for Whale Tales 2013!

During Whale Tales 2012, Darlene and Jeff Anderson offered a challenge match of $10,000 to help support Whale Tales 2013. We are nearly halfway towards our goal. We hope you will join our growing list of sponsors by donating today! Donations can be sent to Whale Trust at PO Box 243, Makawao, HI 96768 or by donating to this matching grant online today!

DONATE TODAY!

 

to Sponsor Whale Trust Annual Golf Tournament

Whale Trust's annual golf tournament raised nearly $14,000 to support Whale Trust research and education programs. Although it was one of the windiest days anyone could remember at King Kamehameha Golf Club, fun was had by all and offered to sponsor the event again next year!

Research Updates:

A Day in the Field with Lahainaluna High School Students

Three high school students from Lahainaluna High School's biotechnology class joined Drs. Jim Darling and Meagan Jones for a day of whale research off the coast of Maui. Although the students have been working in the high school's biotech lab to determine the sex of individual whales using DNA from skin samples and to measure steroid hormones such as progesterone or estriol in blubber samples collected by Whale Trust, the students had yet to experience whales and the fieldwork portion of the project firsthand. One student wrote of the experience: "I had the time of my life. I honestly could not contain my excitement, and I appreciate it more than you know." Meagan and Jim felt similarly – it was one of the most rewarding days spent on the water in a long time.

Playback Experiments with Humpback Whale Singers to Commence in Late March

As part of a grant received by Jim Darling from National Geographic Society, the Whale Trust research team (Jim, Meagan, Flip and Jason along with volunteers Elisa Girola and Patti Hackney) will soon commence the second phase of a research project focusing on the social function of humpback song. The study will involve playing back humpback whale songs that differ in composition to male singers off the coast of Maui. The purpose of the study is to determine whether song composition determines how males interact with each other on the breeding grounds.

Mahalo to National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions!

We are grateful to National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions for generously donating one of their prestigious trips for 2 to Baja this March! Tom and Jan Savidge, loyal friends and supporters of Whale Trust, were the lucky winners. This is the Savidge's second National Geographic Expedition. They also won a trip to Antarctica a few years ago! Thanks to everyone for helping make this trip happen and allowing all proceeds to support our research and education programs.

Meagan Jones Awarded Switzer Leadership Grant for Second Year!

The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation recently announced that they had awarded Meagan Jones, Whale Trust co-founder and ED, a 2012 leadership grant to continue to serve as full-time Executive Director for Whale Trust. Meagan has been a Switzer fellow since 2002 when she received an academic fellowship for her doctoral work. Last year, she received a leadership grant to return as Whale Trust Executive Director and that funding has been extended for a second year.

The Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation is a non-profit organization that identifies and nurtures environmental leaders who have the ability and determination to make a significant impact, and supports initiatives that will have direct and measurable results to improve environmental quality. The Foundation accomplishes this by awarding academic fellowships and project grants, sponsoring professional development activities, and fostering a growing network of Switzer Fellows, environmental practitioners, and organizations.

Whale Trust Receives Grant from The Atherton Family Foundation

Whale Trust recently received a capacity building grant from the Atherton Family Foundation. As part of the grant, Whale Trust will continue working with Monica Grant, Senior Director of Development from UC Santa Cruz, to begin implementing the fund development plan we created with Monica's help in 2011.

Flip Nicklin Named Outstanding Photographer Of The Year In 2012

The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) is bestowing one of its highest honors to Flip Nicklin, a National Geographic contributing photographer and co-founder of Whale Trust who is best known for capturing the world’s best images of whales and other underwater life. The award will be presented at the 2012 Nature Photography Summit presented by NANPA, to be held February 29-March 3, 2012, in Jacksonville, Florida. Flip will be one of the headlining keynote speakers at the event.

NANPA’s Outstanding Photography of the Year award goes to an individual who has demonstrated unquestioned skill as a nature photographer. Although length of career may be a factor, more important are the individual's accomplishments and body of photographic work. By receiving this honor, Flip joins the elite ranks of other NANPA Outstanding Photographers of the Year, including Jack Dykinga, Joel Sartore, Tim Laman, James Balog, Kevin Schafer, Patricio Robles Gil, Tui De Roy, Norbert Wu, Gary Braasch, Michael Nichols, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Tom Mangelsen, Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe and John Shaw.