From Feb. 12-15, top international scientists, photographers, filmmakers and conservationists will gather for Whale Tales, a four-day educational and fundraising event, at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. The event will feature presentations, whale watches led by presenters, a film screening and opportunities to network with world-renowned personalities in whale research. PHOTO BY FLIP NICKLIN NOAA #13846.

KAPALUA – The international whale research organization Whale Trust Maui invites the public to gather in West Maui over Presidents’ Day weekend at the tenth annual Whale Tales event at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

From Feb. 12 through 15, top international scientists, photographers, filmmakers and conservationists will gather for Whale Tales, a four-day educational and fundraising event, full of presentations, whale watches led by presenters, a film screening, live auction and opportunities to network with world-renowned personalities in whale research.

The event has attracted more than 10,000 whale enthusiasts since 2006 and raised over $430,000 to date for whale research around Hawaii.

Presentations are free and open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; however, a suggested $20 per day donation is suggested to support Whale Tales’ beneficiaries.

Benefit whale watches with the experts and ocean activities (snorkeling, canoe and kayak trips) are held throughout the weekend, with morning whale watches daily and excursions all day on Presidents’ Day on Monday, Feb. 15. All proceeds from the weekend’s activities support whale research happening here on Maui.

Benefit whale watches and ocean activities are slated throughout Whale Tales. PHOTO BY ADAM QUINN.

The lineup on Friday, Feb. 12, includes “The Wondrous World of Whales” with photographer Marty Wolff and Friends from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.; “Among Giants: A Life with Whales 2.0” with Flip Nicklin of Whale Trust Maui and National Geographic from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.; “Camera Man: A Life of Adventure” with award-winning cinematographer Chuck Nicklin from 4:15 to 5 p.m.; and a book signing with Chuck from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

Events on Saturday include the lunch series “Films from the Field” with the Hawaii Whale Research Foundation and Jill Mickelson from noon to 12:30 p.m.; “Humpback Songs Across the Pacific” with Dr. Jim Darling of Whale Trust Maui from 1 to 1:45 p.m.; “Voices in the Ocean” with best-selling author Susan Casey from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m., followed by a book signing with Casey from 2:30 to 3 p.m.; “Great Voyages: Expeditions to the World’s Wild Places and The Stories Behind the Images” with Ralph Lee Hopkins of Lindblad Expeditions from 3 to 3:45 p.m.; “Hawaii’s Humpbacks: What Are They Doing in Alaska?” with John Moran of Gulf Watch Alaska from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.; and “In Search of Hawaii’s Ancient Cetacean Communities” with Fred Sharpe and Kenneth O’Brien of the Alaska Whale Foundation from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Sunday’s slate includes “Whale 911: Training Responders in Entanglement Response” with Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary from 1 to 1:30 p.m.; “The Use of Novel Techniques to Assess Environmental Change Impacts on Whales” with Dr. Jonathan Stern of San Francisco State University from 1:30 to 2 p.m.; “Humpback Whales are Not as Independent as We Once Thought Social Bonds Change Everything!” with Beth Goodwin of the Jupiter Research Foundation and Olga Von Ziegesar of Eye of the Whale from 2 to 2:30 p.m.; “The Future of Whale Research” with Yaiyr Astudillo-Scalia, Merra Howe, Maurcio Cantor and Lauren Shoemaker from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.; and the Maui movie premiere of “Humpback Whales” presented by Greg MacGillivray of MacGillivray Freeman Films, followed by Q&A with MacGillivray, Fred Sharpe, Ed Lyman, Jason Sturgis and Meagan Jones, from?3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

The 2016 beneficiaries of Whale Tales include the Hawaii Whale Research Foundation; Keiki Kohola Project; Large Whale Disentanglement Program, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation; Oceanwide Science Institute; and Whale Trust Maui.

Whale Trust Maui is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to whale research and education. Funds raised at Whale Tales support whale research efforts in the Hawaiian Islands.

For more information, visit www.whaletrust.org or www.facebook.com/events/965187936860396/.