"Watching Whales, Saving Whales" Symposium:
Protecting and Saving Whales through the Power of Public Awareness and Scientific Discovery
Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14, 2010

Saturday is the first day of a two-day symposium dedicated to protecting and saving whales through the power of public awareness and scientific discovery. The Saturday symposium is free and open to the public, and includes free talks and presentations by renowned researchers, educators and authors from around the world. At the Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka'anapali Beach's Haleakala Ballroom from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and 1:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Limited "pay as you park" parking is available at Whaler's Village.

The morning session (8:45 a.m.-noon) will focus on "Saving Whales through Science." The session will be moderated by Prof. Mark Orams.

Presenters will include:

    * Keynote speaker Dr. Angelia Vanderlaan (St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
    * Ed Lyman (Marine Mammal Response Manager for the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary)
    * Dr. Cristina Castro (Pacific Whale Foundation's Ecuador Project Director)
    * Dr. Rachel Cartright (California State University CI, Founder of Keiki Kohala Project) and Captain Amy Venema (Founding Member and Co-Investigator, Keiki Kohala Project)
    * Daniel Laggner (Pacific Whale Foundation researcher)

The afternoon session (1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.) will focus on "Conservation through Whalewatching." The session will be moderated by Greg Kaufman.

Presenters will include:

    * Keynote speaker Prof. Mark Orams (New Zealand Tourism Research Institute and Auckland University of Technology)
    * Prof. Michael Luck (New Zealand Tourism Research Institute and Auckland University of Technology)
    * Douglas Abrams (Author, The Eye of the Whale)
    * Joana Varawa-McIntyre (Author, The Delicate Art of Whale Watching and Minds in the Water)

A share-a-thon (in which participants can share videos, photos, stories and artwork relating to whales and whalewatching) will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Participate in the Symposium Shareathon. Click here for an application.

Click here for a copy of the symposium agenda.

See below for information on individual presenters.

Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival

Patagonia and Pacific Whale Foundation present Maui's first Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, an evening of award-winning short films relating to the ocean, water, climate change and the environment. Be entertained and educated! Enjoy free films and door prizes from companies including Osprey Packs, Tom's of Maine, Sierra Nevada, Clif Bars, Patagonia and Pacific Whale Foundation.

This year's film lineup includes:

  * Edge of the Sea
  * Nourish
  * One by One, Ton by Ton: Stop Global Warming!
  * Secret Life of Paper
  * iDrive 55
  * Sheltered Sea: The Journey of the California Marine 
     Life Protection Act  

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Westin Maui in Kaanapali. The films from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. have been selected to appeal to children and adults. This event is free.

Sponsors for the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival include:
Patagonia; Clif Bar; Osprey Packs; Tom's of Maine; Sierra Nevada

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SYMPOSIUM
Sunday, February 14, 2010

The symposium continues on Sunday with a day of field trips, including a "Whale Photo Safari" at sea, a free workshop on watching whales from land, and a whalewatch led by some of the symposium presenters.

"Whale Photo Safari"

Join Pacific Whale Foundation researcher Annie Macie and noted wildlife photographer Monica Sweet on a whalewatch photo safari from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. aboard the Ocean Explorer from Lahaina Harbor. With a capacity of just 49 passengers, and stadium style seating, this vessel is a favorite of wildlife photographers year-round. Participants will get hands-on training with state- of-the-art digital cameras from Canon and will receive a DVD of all images and video collected during the safari. Participants will receive expert advice on capturing whale images and learn about utilizing the latest digital photo techniques and data storage. Continental breakfast and refreshments will be included. Please bring your cameras. The cost of the photo safari is $99.95. Advance reservations are required. For reservations, visit www.pacificwhale.org or call (808) 249-8811 ext. 1 or 1-800-942-5311 ext. 1.

"The Delicate Art of Watching Whales from Land"

This free workshop that will take place at Papawai Point scenic lookout on Route 30, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The workshop will be led by Pacific Whale Foundation's Research Director, Kristen Jule. Attendees will learn tips on spotting whales from shore, as well as on identifying whale behaviors and interpreting social interactions. Binoculars will be provided during the workshop. This event is free and open to all. No reservations are required.

VIP Whalewatch with International Experts

The final event of the symposium will be a "VIP Whalewatch" led by whale experts from the symposium, along with Pacific Whale Foundation's Founder and Executive DIrector Greg Kaufman and Research Director Dr. Kristen Jule. It will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the double-deck power catamaran Ocean Discovery from Lahaina Harbor. Participants on this two-hour eco-adventure cruise will enjoy free refreshments and a deli-style lunch, and receive a complimentary whale poster and a free color whalewatch guide. Whale sightings are guaranteed or you receive a "Just a Fluke" coupon to go again for free. Early reservations are strongly encouraged for this one-of-a-kind whalewatch. $49.95 for adults; Children ages 7 to 12 are $34.95; free for kids ages 6 and under. Book online at www.pacificwhale.org and save 10%. Pacific Whale Foundation Members save 20%. For information and reservations, visit www.pacificwhale.org or call (808) 249-8811 ext 1 or 1-800-942-5311 ext. 1.

Sponsors for the Symposium include:
Westin Maui Resort and Spa
Pioneer Inn 

Symposium Presenters:

Douglas Abrams - Douglas Carlton Abrams is the nationally bestselling author of The Lost Diary of Don Juan, which has been published in thirty languages. He is also the author of the novel Eye of the Whale. He writes fact-based fiction. His  extensive research for his new novel included working with scientists, recording humpback whales, meeting present-day whalers, and cage-diving with great white sharks.  Previously an editor at the University of California Press and HarperCollins, he is the cofounder of Idea Architects, a book and media development agency that works with visionary authors.

Dr. Rachel Cartwright - Dr. Cartwright has her PhD in Conservation Biology. She founded the Keiki Kohala project in 1997. This project aims at providing information on humpback whale calf behavior and development that will ensure affective management of nursery waters. Dr. Cartwright teaches Marine Biology, Biostatistics and Environmental Science at California State University Channel Islands. Dr. Cartwright will be unable to join us for the Symposium, but her work will be presented by Captain Amy Venema.

Dr. Cristina Castro - Dr. Castro received her BA in Biology and Chemistry from the Central University of Ecuador in 1996, and was granted a doctorate in Biology from the Central University of Ecuador in 2001. Her research interests are management and conservation of marine mammals in Ecuador. Since 1997, her studies have focused on the breeding grounds of humpback whales in the Machalilla National Park (MNP), Ecuador. In 2009 she worked with a collaborative reserach team on a project to reduce the impact of bycatch on dolphins in MNP. Cristina has also directed marine mammal and environmental education for indigenous children living in the Ecuadorian jungle and along the coast, provided guidance on creating effective whalewatchign regulations for researchers and governement officials, and held training workshops for area naturalist guides. Dr. Castro has also represented Ecuador at meetings of the International Whaling Commission.

Daniel Laggner - Daniel Laggner has recently joined the Pacific Whale Foundation Research Department. Daniel is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Onboard Research program. He has a Master's in Wildlife Biology from Evergreen State College. His thesis assessed the threat of ship strikes on the dense population of blue whales in the Santa Barbara Channel. He has carried out marine biology research on beaked whales off San Clemente Island and marine mammal surveys in the Gulf of the Farallone Islands.
 

Ed Lyman - Ed Lyman received his Masters of Science from the University of New Hampshire and has been involved in marine mammal research and rescue work since 1994. He has worked for the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (a non-profit whale research and rescue organization located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts) as a member of their large whale disentanglement team. He also worked for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, collaborating with fishermen to come up with “whale-safe” gear and fishing practices to reduce entanglements. Ed has taught courses on marine mammals at several institutions, including the Shoals Marine Laboratory off the coast of Maine. Ed has participated in over 65 disentanglement efforts and helped free over 50 large whales from entanglements.  He currently works for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary as their Maui Marine Mammal Response Manager, coordinating an Entanglement Response Network and assisting David Mattila, the Sanctuary’s Science and Rescue Advisor, in carrying out research efforts on humpback whales around the main Hawaiian Islands. Over the last several summers, Ed has assisted NOAA Fisheries in Alaska and along the West Coast in addressing response efforts to entangled large whales.

Prof. Michael Luck - Prof. Luck is Associate Professor and Head of the Tourism and Events Department in the School of Hospitality and Tourism and Associate Director of the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, both at Auckland University of Technology. He received his PhD from the University of Otago in Dunedin. Michael has more than 10 years of work experience in the tourism indsutry, having worked for a large package tour operator, travel agencies, a campervan rental company, and as a tour guide in Belize. He taugh at universities in Germany, New Zealand, Scotland and Canada. Michael's research intersts lie in the areas of marine tourism (particularly marine wildlife tours and the cruise industry), ecotourism, sustainable tourism, the impacts of tourism, gay tourism and aviation. He has published in a number of international journals, is founding editor-in-chief of the academic journal Tourism in Marine Environments, and Associate Editor of The Journal of Ecotourism. Michael edited multiple volumes of the Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments.

Prof. Mark Orams - Prof. Orams is a respected researcher with interests in marine science, coastal and marine tourism, sport management and sustainable development. He is based at the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute and the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Auckland University of Technology. Mark holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental planning, a Masters of Science, and completed his PhD in 1995 at the School of Marine Sceince at the University of Queensland. His doctoral research focused on marine mammal tourism. He has published three books, including the first published text on marine tourism, as well as over 30 scientific papers on the subject.

Dr. Angelia Vanderlaan - Dr. Vanderlaan recently completed her PhD in Biological Oceanography at Dalhousie University, where she focused on quantifying lethal risks to North Atlantic right whales from ocean-going vessels and fishing gear. Her whale-related research has resulted in five scientific publications to date, several of which were instrumental in the design and justification of conservation initiatives that have been implemented to protect right whales from lethal vessel strikes in Canada and elsewhere. In recognition of these conservation efforts, Angelia was awarded the William T. Hornaday Conservation Award by the American Society of Mammalogists, as well as a Canadian Whale Institute Award. Her current research as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is focused on quantitative measures of the habitat preferences of giant Atlantic bluefin tuna and how these may be changing.

Captain Amy Venema - Capt Amy Venema brings a wealth of practical experience to her work as co-investigator for the Keiki Kohola Project. In addition to a wide ranging and very committed career in marine education, Amy is actively involved in a range of ocean and vessel management initiatives here on Maui. Amy donates many hours each season to her work as co-investigator with the Keiki Kohola project and, as a commercial whale watch captain/naturalist, Amy brings a real world perspective to the discussion of vessel handling and best management practices during whale season in Maui waters. Captain Venema will be presenting the work of Dr. Rachel Cartwright.

Joana Varawa-McIntyre - Varawa-McIntyre is a California native with a BA in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her many accomplishments include founding the whale advocacy group Project Jonah and writing two books, Mind in the Water and The Delicate Art of Watching Whales.