Pacific Whale Foundation

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Many Eco-Friendly Features in New Catamaran 03/17/2007
MAALAEA, MAUI, HI -- It's been 27 years since Pacific Whale Foundation first began offering whalewatches and ecotours in Hawaii -- first on chartered vessels, then on boats purchased secondhand, and finally on boats that were custom-built for the organization. Each of the new boats has included ecofriendly features, but the latest vessel to be introduced, Ocean Discovery, is packed with so many that it deserves the title of a "green vessel." In addition to ultra-low emissions engines, super-quiet muffler systems and low-flush toilets, Ocean Discovery has one very special feature: a Whale Protection Device (WPD) to gently guide whales away from propellers and running gear. Created for U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) passenger vessels, the Whale Protection Device is the first known device of its kind employed in Hawaii and the first of its type in the United States. Pacific Whale Foundation spent much of the past year working with a team of four naval architects to create the Whale Protection Device. The goal was to create a system that could be added to new or existing USCG passenger carrying vessels, such as those used for whalewatching, small passenger ferries and snorkel trips in Hawaii. "With the whale population increasing in Hawaii, the likelihood of vessel-whale collisions is also increasing," says Greg Kaufman, President and Founder of Pacific Whale Foundation. "Whales can be injured by collisions with ship hulls and propellers. Collisions with propellers are not always fatal, but can result in severe wounds – something we certainly want to prevent." "We think we have found a very good solution," says Kaufman. "Pacific Whale Foundation's new Whale Protection Device has been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. As of this week, Ocean Discovery is in service with the device in place, conducting whalewatch tours out of Maalaea Harbor." With the Whale Protection Device in place, Ocean Discovery has traveled on its own power from Louisiana to Maui on a route that took it through the Panama Canal to Mexico, California and Honolulu. There were no effects or change in vessel performance from the Whale Protection Device over thousands of miles. In addition to installing the Whale Protection Device on the new Ocean Discovery, Pacific Whale Foundation retrofitted it onto the organization's existing double-deck power catamaran Ocean Odyssey, which is used for whalewatches and snorkel tours. The Foundation's remaining USCG passenger-certified vessels will be retrofitted with the new Whale Protection Device prior to the onset of next year's whalewatch season. Pacific Whale Foundation has also installed propeller guards on all of its smaller outboard powered vessels and dinghies, including a rigid hull inflatable vessel used for research. "Propeller guards exist for small outboard vessels," says Kaufman. "It was very easy to install them, and we recommend them highly for anyone operating a vessel of this size in Hawaii, especially for anyone doing whale research or spending a fair amount of time on the water during whale season." "The use of cages and tunnels to protect vessel props from collisions with rocks and logs is fairly common on river and lake vessels," says Kaufman. "These devices are intended for use on vessels traveling at slow speeds." "The challenge with cages and tunnels is they provide additional mass under the vessel, creating more surface area which can strike a marine mammal," he said. "They can also reduce the maneuverability of the vessel." Kaufman added that Pacific Whale Foundation had looked at jet propulsion as an alternative to propeller devices, but found that the extremely loud noise caused by the jets was problematic, adding to anthropogenic noise in the ocean that can cause deafness among marine mammals. "We engaged naval architects in Louisiana, and Australia to help us find solutions," he said. "We challenged them to do something that no one else has accomplished before: to create a highly effective means of protecting whales from propellers on passenger vessels in the 40 to 65 foot range." "Our goal was to create something that was simple yet elegant in its design,” remarks Kaufman. “We wanted a device that would not inhibit the vessel's maneuverability and present little mass or surface area with which to collide with marine life." The resulting Whale Protection Device is situated on the underside of the boat, in front of the propellers. It is foil-shaped, and made of aluminum, and then repeatedly coated with a rubber polymer, to have smooth, soft rounded edges. If a whale heads towards the running gear of the vessel, the Whale Protection Device will guide it downward, away from harm. If the whale should bump the device, it will breakaway as it also deflects the whale away. "To further protect the whales from the vessel's running gear, we designed foil shaped rudders from the same soft rubberized materials using the same procedure,” comments Kaufman. “Should an animal come in contact with our rudders, they will flex and in an extreme impact break away to minimize harm to the whale and the vessel.” "Our primary concerns are for passenger safety and the welfare of the whales," says Kaufman. "While we hope that we never have to test the efficacy of the Whale Protection Device, it is like a seatbelt in a car -- we feel better knowing we now have this added measure of protection on our vessels for the whales." "To our knowledge, our Whale Protection Device is the first of its kind to be installed on vessels in this size range anywhere in the United States -- and possibly the world,” says Kaufman. "We are happy to share our research and technology with boaters everywhere with the hope that all vessels operating in Hawaii and other whale-rich areas will make use of it." Pacific Whale Foundation has also installed a new new state-of the-art electronic transmissions on Ocean Discovery, which will allow the captain to shift from full forward to full reverse without toppling passengers or tearing up the engines and transmission should a whale suddenly appear in the vessels path. This provides added safety for our passengers and further safeguards the whales in the event of an iminent collision. “We gave built our quietest vessel to date, adding extra sound-deadening material to the hull, and employing a new hospital grade muffler system resulting in a cleaner, quieter exhaust system” says Kaufman. “We have also installed the lowest possible flush toilets on the vessel, resulting in less than one gallon of effluent per flush in our storage tanks, which means less waste to pump at the end of the day. Ocean Discovery is designed to allow sanitary pump-out of all waste for proper disposal.” Ocean Discovery is 65 feet in length and 28 feet wide, has seating for 163 passengers, and is U.S. Coast Guard certified to carry 149 people. It also offers a host of amenities for passengers. There's a well-appointed main salon, with full galley and bar equipped with a warming oven and refrigerator. A centrally located serving buffet with built-in heating elements and two oversized stainless steel barbeques ensure fast food service for all guests. There's even a convenient mini-bar on the upper deck to provide an extra measure of hospitality. A high performance stereo and public address system, plus a DVD player plus two flat screen TV monitors, will aid Pacific Whale Foundation's naturalists to teach the public about the ocean environment. When it's time for snorkeling, the four-foot wide double entry grand stairway leads to two oversized swim platforms for easy entry into the water. A water slide provides fun for adults and kids. A total of four freshwater showers are conveniently located, two on each side of vessel. Ocean Discovery will carry whalewatchers and snorkelers from Maalaea Harbor. To learn more or to book a cruise, please call Pacific Whale Foundation at 249-8811. Pacific Whale Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Hawaii with projects in Ecuador and Australia. The mission of Pacific Whale Foundation is to promote appreciation, understanding and protection of whales, dolphins, coral reefs and our planet's oceans. This is accomplished by educating the public -- from a scientific perspective -- about the marine environment. Pacific Whale Foundation supports and conducts responsible marine research and address marine conservation issues in Hawaii and the Pacific. Through educational ecotours, Pacific Whale Foundation models and promotes sound ecotourism practices and responsible wildlife watching. To learn more, call 1-800-WHALE-1-1 or visit www.pacificwhale.org. Media Contact: Anne Rillero Communications Director Pacific Whale Foundation The Harbor Shops at Ma'alaea 300 Ma'alaea Rd., Suite 211 Wailuku, HI 96793 (808) 244-8390
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Many Eco-Friendly Features in New Catamaran 03/17/2007
MAALAEA, MAUI, HI -- It's been 27 years since Pacific Whale Foundation first began offering whalewatches and ecotours in Hawaii -- first on chartered vessels, then on boats purchased secondhand, and finally on boats that were custom-built for the organization. Each of the new boats has included ecofriendly features, but the latest vessel to be introduced, Ocean Discovery, is packed with so many that it deserves the title of a "green vessel." In addition to ultra-low emissions engines, super-quiet muffler systems and low-flush toilets, Ocean Discovery has one very special feature: a Whale Protection Device (WPD) to gently guide whales away from propellers and running gear. Created for U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) passenger vessels, the Whale Protection Device is the first known device of its kind employed in Hawaii and the first of its type in the United States. Pacific Whale Foundation spent much of the past year working with a team of four naval architects to create the Whale Protection Device. The goal was to create a system that could be added to new or existing USCG passenger carrying vessels, such as those used for whalewatching, small passenger ferries and snorkel trips in Hawaii. "With the whale population increasing in Hawaii, the likelihood of vessel-whale collisions is also increasing," says Greg Kaufman, President and Founder of Pacific Whale Foundation. "Whales can be injured by collisions with ship hulls and propellers. Collisions with propellers are not always fatal, but can result in severe wounds – something we certainly want to prevent." "We think we have found a very good solution," says Kaufman. "Pacific Whale Foundation's new Whale Protection Device has been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. As of this week, Ocean Discovery is in service with the device in place, conducting whalewatch tours out of Maalaea Harbor." With the Whale Protection Device in place, Ocean Discovery has traveled on its own power from Louisiana to Maui on a route that took it through the Panama Canal to Mexico, California and Honolulu. There were no effects or change in vessel performance from the Whale Protection Device over thousands of miles. In addition to installing the Whale Protection Device on the new Ocean Discovery, Pacific Whale Foundation retrofitted it onto the organization's existing double-deck power catamaran Ocean Odyssey, which is used for whalewatches and snorkel tours. The Foundation's remaining USCG passenger-certified vessels will be retrofitted with the new Whale Protection Device prior to the onset of next year's whalewatch season. Pacific Whale Foundation has also installed propeller guards on all of its smaller outboard powered vessels and dinghies, including a rigid hull inflatable vessel used for research. "Propeller guards exist for small outboard vessels," says Kaufman. "It was very easy to install them, and we recommend them highly for anyone operating a vessel of this size in Hawaii, especially for anyone doing whale research or spending a fair amount of time on the water during whale season." "The use of cages and tunnels to protect vessel props from collisions with rocks and logs is fairly common on river and lake vessels," says Kaufman. "These devices are intended for use on vessels traveling at slow speeds." "The challenge with cages and tunnels is they provide additional mass under the vessel, creating more surface area which can strike a marine mammal," he said. "They can also reduce the maneuverability of the vessel." Kaufman added that Pacific Whale Foundation had looked at jet propulsion as an alternative to propeller devices, but found that the extremely loud noise caused by the jets was problematic, adding to anthropogenic noise in the ocean that can cause deafness among marine mammals. "We engaged naval architects in Louisiana, and Australia to help us find solutions," he said. "We challenged them to do something that no one else has accomplished before: to create a highly effective means of protecting whales from propellers on passenger vessels in the 40 to 65 foot range." "Our goal was to create something that was simple yet elegant in its design,” remarks Kaufman. “We wanted a device that would not inhibit the vessel's maneuverability and present little mass or surface area with which to collide with marine life." The resulting Whale Protection Device is situated on the underside of the boat, in front of the propellers. It is foil-shaped, and made of aluminum, and then repeatedly coated with a rubber polymer, to have smooth, soft rounded edges. If a whale heads towards the running gear of the vessel, the Whale Protection Device will guide it downward, away from harm. If the whale should bump the device, it will breakaway as it also deflects the whale away. "To further protect the whales from the vessel's running gear, we designed foil shaped rudders from the same soft rubberized materials using the same procedure,” comments Kaufman. “Should an animal come in contact with our rudders, they will flex and in an extreme impact break away to minimize harm to the whale and the vessel.” "Our primary concerns are for passenger safety and the welfare of the whales," says Kaufman. "While we hope that we never have to test the efficacy of the Whale Protection Device, it is like a seatbelt in a car -- we feel better knowing we now have this added measure of protection on our vessels for the whales." "To our knowledge, our Whale Protection Device is the first of its kind to be installed on vessels in this size range anywhere in the United States -- and possibly the world,” says Kaufman. "We are happy to share our research and technology with boaters everywhere with the hope that all vessels operating in Hawaii and other whale-rich areas will make use of it." Pacific Whale Foundation has also installed a new new state-of the-art electronic transmissions on Ocean Discovery, which will allow the captain to shift from full forward to full reverse without toppling passengers or tearing up the engines and transmission should a whale suddenly appear in the vessels path. This provides added safety for our passengers and further safeguards the whales in the event of an iminent collision. “We gave built our quietest vessel to date, adding extra sound-deadening material to the hull, and employing a new hospital grade muffler system resulting in a cleaner, quieter exhaust system” says Kaufman. “We have also installed the lowest possible flush toilets on the vessel, resulting in less than one gallon of effluent per flush in our storage tanks, which means less waste to pump at the end of the day. Ocean Discovery is designed to allow sanitary pump-out of all waste for proper disposal.” Ocean Discovery is 65 feet in length and 28 feet wide, has seating for 163 passengers, and is U.S. Coast Guard certified to carry 149 people. It also offers a host of amenities for passengers. There's a well-appointed main salon, with full galley and bar equipped with a warming oven and refrigerator. A centrally located serving buffet with built-in heating elements and two oversized stainless steel barbeques ensure fast food service for all guests. There's even a convenient mini-bar on the upper deck to provide an extra measure of hospitality. A high performance stereo and public address system, plus a DVD player plus two flat screen TV monitors, will aid Pacific Whale Foundation's naturalists to teach the public about the ocean environment. When it's time for snorkeling, the four-foot wide double entry grand stairway leads to two oversized swim platforms for easy entry into the water. A water slide provides fun for adults and kids. A total of four freshwater showers are conveniently located, two on each side of vessel. Ocean Discovery will carry whalewatchers and snorkelers from Maalaea Harbor. To learn more or to book a cruise, please call Pacific Whale Foundation at 249-8811. Pacific Whale Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Hawaii with projects in Ecuador and Australia. The mission of Pacific Whale Foundation is to promote appreciation, understanding and protection of whales, dolphins, coral reefs and our planet's oceans. This is accomplished by educating the public -- from a scientific perspective -- about the marine environment. Pacific Whale Foundation supports and conducts responsible marine research and address marine conservation issues in Hawaii and the Pacific. Through educational ecotours, Pacific Whale Foundation models and promotes sound ecotourism practices and responsible wildlife watching. To learn more, call 1-800-WHALE-1-1 or visit www.pacificwhale.org. Media Contact: Anne Rillero Communications Director Pacific Whale Foundation The Harbor Shops at Ma'alaea 300 Ma'alaea Rd., Suite 211 Wailuku, HI 96793 (808) 244-8390
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Many Eco-Friendly Features in New Catamaran

03/17/2007