Welcome
Flip Nicklin

Talk Story with David Doubilet
David Doubilet
World-renown National Geographic photographer shares stories and original photos shot from his adventures around the world. Enjoy a rare opportunity to see the underwater world through the eyes of this prestigious, award winning photographer.

Advance Screening "Humpbacks-From Fire to Ice"
Dan R. Salden
The extraordinary footage of this documentary captures the remarkable journey of a humpback mother, Mana starting with her arrival at the warm Maui winter grounds to have her calf, Kai. Observe the development of the enduring mother-calf bond, the mother's protective nurturing behavior and their interaction with competitive groups. Experience Mana and Kai's amazing journey to Alaska, the calf's incredible growth and finally - their return to Maui the following year. This fascinating documentary also captures some of the startling perils of the humpback's annual migrations - including predatory dangers.

Film credits and special thanks to: Stan Esecson - Executive Producer / Producer / Aerial Cinematographer, Ross Isaacs - Director / Producer / Underwater Cinematographer, Michelle Addington - Producer, Bill Holshevnikoff - Director of Photography, Michael Bright - Writer, Andy Netley - Editor, Kate Hopkins - Sound Editor, Barnaby Taylor & William Goodchild - Composer / Conductor, Sir David Attenborough - Narrator

Can we Beat the Polar Heat?
Paul Nicklen
The Arctic is warming at a faster pace than any other part of the world. Vast glaciers and ice sheets are melting at an increasing rate, causing dramatic weather changes. Understand how these alarming changes have a staggering affect on the entire polar ecosystem including the populations of whales, polar bears and other mega fauna.

Female Humpback Whales: What are they doing here?
Meagan Jones
Humpback whales are studied intensively, yet our knowledge of female reproductive behavior, and how the female fits into the social structure of humpback breeding and calving grounds remains one of the great unknowns. Explore the world of female humpbacks and hear some of the highlights of ongoing study into their activities off the coast of Maui.

Whale Water Safety
Adam Pack
Collision with vessels is one of the leading human-caused sources of mortality for whales worldwide. Encouraging responsible boating practices and having the ability to sight whales early enough to avoid collision are two key components to reducing the risk of ship strikes. Learn about ship strikes on humpback whales in the heavily populated Hawaiian waters; and find out about an innovate system of electronic maps depicting real-time whale locations to help avoid whale encounters.

Listening for Clues
Jim Darling
Humpback whale 'song' was first described in 1971. Since then, despite numerous studies, little is really known about how and why the whales sing. We do know that males produce the long songs; and that since they sing mainly during the breeding season, the song is related to mating. It's also been discovered that the songs composition gradually changes when all singers in the population sing the same version at any time. Learn about pioneering research that include song playback experiments off Maui that may unleash clues to unlock the mystery of their mysterious song.

Crittercam
Greg Marshall
How do you attach a camera to a shark? Very carefully! Crittercam is an amazing research tool that includes a video camera that scientists attach to animals to study their remarkable behavior. This revolutionary device can actually record video, audio, depth, temperature, light and velocity. Learn about the evolution of Crittercam through the years, the challenges of attaching it to wildlife, creative problem solving in the field and scientific insights gained.

Ringing the Dinner Bell: Sperm Whales and Fishermen Butting Heads in the North Pacific
Jan Straley
Learn about a cooperative research project among scientists, fishermen, and managers. Discover how sperm whales are removing fish from long-line gear and recommendations to reduce this behavior.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Whales, RAVE: A New Tool for Conservation
Cristina Mittermeier, Flip Nicklin & David Doubilet
We know that photography can influence government policy; it can also be a key tool in educating decision makers and the public on the value of wildlife, wild land and their biodiversity assets. Learn how the Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) uses groups of very specialized scientists traveling to previously undocumented areas to develop a thorough baseline inventory of biodiversity.

To Protect & Defend
Mike Payne
North Pacific humpback whale populations were thought to have been reduced from about 15,000 prior to commercial exploitation to just over 1,000 after whaling and remain listed as endangered today. The Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary describes their proactive efforts to improve the conservation and management of these incredible undersea creatures. Understand how different research methods reveal the biology and behavior of humpbacks, how they address management issues under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Ecological Society of America, and how they can ultimately save the whales.

Spying on Humpback Whales: Sounds and Behaviors Revealed
Alison Stimpert
Ever wish you could be a fly on a wall in a humpback whale competitive group? How about when whales are using bubble-nets on the feeding grounds? We use suction-cup tags to listen to what's going on during these interactions. Hear sounds recorded from competitive groups in Hawaii and feeding whales in the Atlantic, and learn how these sounds might be used in humpback whale communication or for other important behaviors.

Life, Death, and the Ways of the Humpbacks: The 2007 Field Season Revealed
Mark Ferrari
Watch high-definition video excerpts showing the death of a humpback whale calf, the formation of a competitive group, the use of very near shore waters by a female in a competitive group, and a close-up view of a kill by false killer whales in Hawaiian waters.

Behind-the-Scenes of "Planet Earth" and "The Blue Planet"
Sue Flood
Become an adventurer working on the award winning BBC/Discovery Channel series Planet Earth and The Blue Planet! Journey behind-the-scenes and discover what it takes to bring home amazing images from the field: from humpback whales in the South Pacific and Antarctic, to belugas in the Arctic, and killer whales hunting gray whales in California.

The Battle for Animal Rights: Whales and SONAR
Ken Balcomb
Although the US Navy has admitted that powerful military SONAR can cause behavioral disruption and death for whales in certain situations, the million dollar question remains: what is the mechanism? The answer to that question and the mitigating requirements for avoiding such traumas are vital to the whales and the Navy. Learn about the events and circumstances surrounding this controversial issue and ponder the pathways for the future of both whales and humans.

The Humpback Code
Daniel Opitz
In the darkness of the oceans' abyss, a manifestation of life permeates everything, the magical "Songs of the Humpback Whale." Experience the world premier of an extraordinary HD documentary which seeks to crack the Humpbacks' code.