MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF
WORLD WHALE FILM FESTIVAL
INSPIRING OCEAN ADVOCACY
EVENING PROGRAM
5:00 - 6:15 PM | PRE-SHOW
5:00 - 5:45 PM | Filmmaker Arrivals
5:45 - 6:00 PM | Seating & Final Entry
6:05 PM | Show Begins & Welcome
6:05 - 6:10 PM | Pacific Whale Foundation CEO,Dayna Garland
6:10 PM - 6:15 PM | Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker, Selket Kaufman
6:15 PM | FILM PROGRAM BLOCK I
The Story of Nā Hiku (USA)
Humpback: Adapting to Humanity (Australia)
Ripple and Rocket (Australia)
Wealth Untold - Trailer (USA)
WORLD WHALE FILM FESTIVAL
8:40 PM |FILM
Ocean Behind the Scenes
Casually Sinking
Battle of the Blues (USA)
9:35 PM | CLOSING REMARKS
FILMS
The Story of Na Hiku (USA)
This short film follows the transformation of a historic sailing vessel into a living classroom that empowers young women and children as future caretakers of the ocean.
Film by Amia Voluntad
Humpback: Adapting to Humanity (Australia)
Once on the edge of extinction, an over 1,500 percent rebound in numbers has symbolized the Humpback Whale’s success story - yet the survival of these gentle giants now depends not on fleeing from harpoons, but adapting to an ocean that’s being redefined by humanity.
Film by Alexander Forrest
Ripple and Rocket (Australia)
Inspired by a true story, Ripple & Rocket is a hand-drawn animated short told entirely from the dolphins’ perspective, following a mother and her calf as they navigate humandominated waters.
Film by Kylie Claude and Marianna Boorman
FILMS
Wealth Untold - Trailer (USA)
Set in Belize, home to the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, Wealth Untold follows inspiring women leaders working to protect the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef amid growing threats from overfishing, development, and climate change.
Film by Eladio Arvelo
Captive (United Kingdom)
A powerful examination of the physical and psychological impacts of captivity on orcas. Through interviews and archival footage, the film confronts the ethics of removing these intelligent animals from the wild.
Film by Ben Gibson
The Island of Giants - Trailer (Portugal)
The Azores. One of the most remote archipelagos on earth. A marine sanctuary in the middle of the Atlantic, crossed by great ocean wanderers on their extraordinary migrations. But recently tuna fishermen of one of its smallest islands have had close encounters with a population of large Whale Sharks, completely unknown to science.
Film by Nuno Sá
FILMS
Stone Biter (Norway)
When an Italian photographer dives into the icy waters of Northern Norway to film wolffish in kelp forests, he instead discovers an ocean floor stripped bare. As he searches for answers, he uncovers how exploding sea urchin populations and human impact have pushed Arctic Sea forests to the brink.
Film by Ismaele Tortella
Saving Koholā (USA)
Saving Koholā offers a rare and intimate look at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary team who monitors and disentangles humpback whales that migrate to these waters to mate and give birth.
Film by Nick Zachar
Enter the Wild (Australia)
Enter the Wild is a short-form wildlife series for YouTube that brings viewers into the lives of animals across diverse habitats worldwide.
Film by Beau Eastman
FILMS
Counting Orca - Trailer (USA)
A tribute to the endangered Southern Resident killer whales and the scientist who began the census to protect them.
Battle of the Blues (USA)
A cinematic portrait of blue whales off Southern California, featuring rare footage of the largest animals ever to live on Earth in powerful feeding aggregations.
Casually Sinking (USA)
Casually Sinking is a 12-minute short film exploring the radical choice to leave home in order to protect oceans and the whales that depend on them.
Film by Koholā Film Project
Film by Jessica Huser, Natalie Taylor
Film by Adam Ryokichi Ernster
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF IMPACT
1980s - THE BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT
In 1980, when fewer than 1,000 humpback whales remained in the North Pacific, a small group on Maui chose to act. Led by founder Greg Kaufman, Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) was born. From the first educational whalewatch tours, PWF blended groundbreaking research with public engagement, turning awe into understanding and inspiring ocean stewardship. Greg’s humane approach to research helped launch one of Maui’s earliest photo-identification catalogs, revealing critical insights into whale behavior and migration. Today, 45 years later, thanks to supporters like you, North Pacific humpback whales number more than 21,000, and PWF’s work continues to protect whales and the ocean worldwide.
In the 1990s, PWF invited the public to become part of the solution. Through initiatives like the Great Whale Count, residents and visitors became community scientists tracking whales from Maui’s shores. What began as a grassroots effort grew into one of Hawaiʻi’s longest-running community science projects. Along with PWF’s ongoing conservation work, it continues to inform policy that safeguards whales, dolphins, and their habitats, proving that when people take part in conservation, they become lifelong guardians of the ocean.
Makai Glass is thrilled to celebrate whales, art, and ocean conservation with Pacific Whale Foundation!
Watch our artists create a Whale Tail glass sculpture LIVE!
This masterpiece will be auctioned at the end of the evening,with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Foundation.
Sculpture vaLued at $3,000. Winner chooses between the Whale Tail on display or the one created live tonight.
Take home a centerpiece!
Shop the online gallery to purchase, and feel good knowing that tonight, Makai Glass will be donating 10% of all gallery sales to the foundation.
SHOP THE ONLINE GALLERY
Get hands-on! Create your own glass art with Glass Experience Maui during an hour-long private session, guided by one of our amazing artists.
CREATE GLASS ART
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF IMPACT
EARLY 2000s - INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
PWF was born from the idea that when people, especially children, experience whales up close, they begin to care deeply about protecting the ocean. In its early years, PWF launched Keiki Whalewatch, introducing Maui’s youth to whales in the wild and helping them see themselves as ocean stewards. By the 2000s, that early spark grew into momentum, as education programs expanded and Ocean Camp became a cornerstone of hands-on learning. Forty-five years later, those beginnings continue to inspire new generations to protect the ocean they love.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EDUCATION
2010s - SCIENCE SAFEGUARDS OUR OCEAN
LEARN MORE ABOUT RESEARCH
The 2010s marked a defining chapter for PWF. During this decade, our scientists helped identify critical habitats, tracked more than 15,000 humpback whales, and strengthened protections for whales and dolphins around the world—protections that are still in place today. Years of research and advocacy led to a historic milestone in 2016, when humpback whales were removed from the U.S.
Endangered Species List, one of the greatest marine recovery stories of our time. Today, PWF’s science continues to inform laws, protect species, and safeguard whales and dolphins for generations to come.
CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF IMPACT
2020s
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A TALE OF COMMUNITY & RESILIENCE
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUTREACH
From navigating the global pandemic to responding to the 2023 wildfires, one truth has guided our work: when we protect our ocean, we strengthen our community. During this decade, PWF expanded outreach through programs like Mālama Pono and Mauka to Makai, restoring reefs and native habitats, while education programs continued to inspire young ocean stewards. These efforts—powered by supporters, volunteers, educators, and partners—have connected people across cultures and generations, building a global community united by a shared love for marine life and a commitment to protecting our ocean for the future.
THE FUTURE - LOOKING AHEAD WITH HOPE
As Pacific Whale Foundation celebrates 45 years, we pause to reflect with gratitude and look ahead with hope. Guided by our vision of a world where people and ocean life thrive together, our work continues to meet the most urgent challenges facing the ocean today. With the support of our community, we are expanding ocean education, strengthening conservation through science and Indigenous knowledge, offering responsible ocean experiences that support both people and place, and operating as a strong, accountable organization. Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping shape a healthier future for our ocean.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
Friends,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for being part of Pacific Whale Foundation’s extraordinary 45-year journey and for celebrating World Whale Day with us.
This past week of celebration was made meaningful because of you. Whether you joined us for a single event or celebrated alongside us all week long, your presence and support are what fuel our mission and make this community so powerful. Every connection, every moment of participation, helps ensure our work continues for generations to come.
What began in 1980 as a small, determined effort to protect humpback whales has grown into a global movement rooted in science, education, and community. Over the decades, Pacific Whale Foundation has helped advance whale recovery, empowered people of all ages to become ocean stewards, and proven that conservation works best when it brings people together.
As we mark World Whale Day and celebrate 45 years of impact, we also look ahead with hope. The challenges facing our ocean are real, but so is the strength of this community. Because of your continued support, Pacific Whale Foundation will keep protecting whales and dolphins, educating future leaders, and working toward a world where people and ocean life thrive together for the next 45 years and beyond.
Thank you for standing with us, this week and always.
With gratitude,
Jen Delgadillo Bevington Pacific Whale Foundation
For Volunteer opportunities: emailkaitlyncole@pacificwhale.org
