LAHAINA – Hawaii Ocean Project invites the public aboard the Kaulana for a special educational whale watch featuring Charles “Flip” Nicklin, who is regarded as the world’s leading cetacean photographer, as well as National Geographic’s premiere whale photographer and marine mammal specialist.

In conjunction with Whale Trust’s annual fundraiser “Whale Tales.” which will take place Feb. 3-4 at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Hawaii Ocean Project will take a special class of King Kamehameha III Elementary School kindergartners on a two-hour educational and entertaining whale watch with Nicklin.

Author of “Among Giants A Life with Whales,” Nicklin grew up around his father’s small dive shop on the California coast.

Over the last quarter-century, Nicklin has photographed more than 30 species of whales and dolphins – some so endangered their very survival is in question.

In 2001, he co-founded Whale Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and public education. Its mission is to promote, support and conduct scientific research on whales and the marine environment and develop public education programs based directly on results of scientific research.

Whale Trust is committed to promoting and fostering Maui as a unique living laboratory for whale research and the marine environment.

For more information on Nicklin, visit www.flipnicklin.com. For Whale Trust information, go to www.whaletrust.org.

Hawaii Ocean Project – a community effort recently formed by Lahaina Cruise Company, which has operated out of Lahaina Harbor since 1976 – has launched a new Research Direct Program.

The program promotes voluntary contributions for genuine research projects. All Hawaii Ocean Project Research Direct funds collected will support genuine research, there will be no program director salaries or administrative fees, and all Hawaii Ocean Project gift shop profits will go to the Research Direct Program.

Hawaii Ocean Project currently hosts whale watches and many other excursions aboard the Island Princess, Maui Princess, Molokai Princess and Kaulana.