Pacific Whale Foundation

About Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. A question for Greg Kaufman: Why did you start Pacific Whale Foundation?
I started Pacific Whale Foundation in 1980, with a small group of citizens who shared my concern that humpback whales were nearing extinction. I couldn't bear the thought that such majestic animals might be lost from our planet forever.

Q. How did Pacific Whale Foundation's Eco-Adventures get started?
A. In 1980, when we started Pacific Whale Foundation, our researchers spent most of their waking hours in the field studying whales. There were two things that convinced them there was a need for educational whalewatches on Maui:

First, was the amount of misinformation that was being disseminated about whales. Our team can remember sitting in our little research boat overhearing a nearby boat captain telling the passengers that the Navy ships-which at the time used Kaho'olawe for target practice and war games-were actually Russian whaling ships waiting offshore to kill humpbacks! Second, the researchers were discovering so much about whales and wanted to share their excitement and findings with the public. On weekends, our researchers would rent vessels and offer reasearcher lead whalewatch trips. That's how it got started. Pacific Whale Foundation was the first to offer educational whalewatch cruises on Maui.

Q. And then Pacific Whale Foundation bought some boats....
A. We came to see that by taking people on whalewatches, we could educate them about the oceans and inspire them to care about the future of our planet's marine environment. Pacific Whale Foundation never really intended to be in the boat business, but we were also spending so much money chartering other companies' boats that we had little choice. Our board decided it was wiser to use our funds to build up our own assets and at the same time be able to completely control our product, from the crew, to fuel, to food, to the maintenance products we used. We purchased our first boat, Whale One, in 1986 and have since added some new vessels.

We've also developed new educational cruise concepts, rooted in our research projects. For example: We were studying the wild dolphins of Lana'i, so it made sense to offer an educational cruise about wild dolphins. Our whalewatch and snorkel company began to mature into a for-profit eco-adventures operation, now known as Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures — which is 100% owned by Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The eco-adventures corporation helps fulfill Pacific Whale Foundation's mission to educate the public about whales, dolphins, coral reefs and the marine environment.

Q. Is Pacific Whale Foundation a nonprofit organization?
A. Pacific Whale Foundation is a nonprofit IRS tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization. This means that we meet the requirements of 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code which describes a nonprofit as (1) serving charitable, religious, scientific or educational purposes (2) no part of the income of which "inures to the benefit of" anyone.

Contributions and donations to Pacific Whale Foundation are considered charitable donations by the IRS. Individuals or businesses who donate to Pacific Whale Foundation may claim their donations as tax-deductible, to the extent allowed by U.S. law.

Q. What exactly is a non-profit?
A. The word "nonprofit" refers to a type of business -- one which is organized under rules that forbid the distribution of profits to owners. In fact, non-profit organizations do not have owners or shareholders.

Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations operate in all other particulars like any other type of business. They can have bank accounts, own assets, receive income from sales, donations and grants, and employ staff.

It is financially prudent for non-profits to generate more money than they spend. What happens to “surplus revenues” (or profits) is what distinguishes non-profits from for-profit businesses. In the “for-profit” world, the surplus revenues or profits can be distributed to the owners or shareholders. With non-profits, these surplus revenues or profits must be directed back to the organization, to be spent on the charitable or public purposes for which the non-profit was organized.

Q. How do non-profits report on their activities?
A. Non-profits of a certain size or larger are required to disclose many details of their operations to the general public and to state regulators and watchdog agencies using IRS Form 990. This form shows any salaries paid to officers or directors [for incorporated nonprofits] and to the five highest-paid employees and contracts if any receive over $50,000 in the tax year. The form also requires the organization to divide its expenses into "functional categories" -- program, administration and fund-raising -- and report the totals for each along with the amounts expended on each program activity. You can read Pacific Whale Foundation’s Form 990 at www.guidestar.com.

Q. Why does Pacific Whale Foundation own an ecotour company?
A. Through Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures, we are able to fulfill part of our mission -- to educate the public about whales and the ocean. At the same time, we can raise needed funds for our research, conservation and education efforts.

The mission of Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures is to educate the public, from a scientific perspective, about whales, dolphins, coral reefs and the marine environment, by providing the public with high-quality, educational and fun marine discovery adventures.

Pacific Whale Foundation fully owns Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures. We fully own all of the assets (boats, computers, equipment, etc.). All of the profits from Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures are owned by Pacific Whale Foundation.

Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures is a for-profit company. We follow the same rules as all of the other cruise companies in Hawaii. We pay the same taxes -- state, federal and excise taxes. What's different is that we are owned by a non-profit, not by stockholders. And most of all, our bottom line is our mission of educating the public. If we’ve succeeded in educating the public about the marine environment, then we’ve succeeded as a company!

Q. Why is it important to educate visitors to Hawaii?
A. With more than two million people coming to Maui each year -- many interacting with the marine environment for the first tiime -- there’s an urgent need to give visitors the information they need to understand and protect our island’s fragile tidepools, coral reefs and endangered species. To educate visitors, Pacific Whale Foundation offers a free onsite coral reef naturalist program at popular shoreline snorkeling beaches and a free “whale “information station” at McGregor Point lookout on Maui. We also offered a free multimedia presentation, “Why Whales Do That!” and free exhibits about whales at our Discovery Center and publish free wildlife watching guides for the public. We hope that visitors who experience the ocean here will become stronger advocates for ocean stewardship and conservation when they return home.

Here's an interesting fact: If Pacific Whale Foundation vanished, all of the boats and equipment owned by Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures would have to be GIVEN to another similar non-profit.

Q. Why is it important to teach Hawaii schoolchildren about the ocean?
Today's schoolchildren will become tomorrow's voters, leaders and decision makers. We believe it is critical to instill an appreciation of the ocean environment and a desire to help conserve our ocean resources.

In addition, learning about the ocean can inspire greater interest in science among local schoolchildren and teenagers.

For more than two decades Pacific Whale Foundation has offered marine science programs to the community, recently serving about 10,000 children each year.

Pacific Whale Foundation’s educational programs leaped forward recently when we opened our new Discovery Center overlooking Ma'alaea Harbor. With two discovery labs equipped with an array of scientific equipment, plus state-of-the-art computerized audio-video equipment, our staff has more tools than ever to make science relevant, interesting and fun.

Our Discovery Center offers an expanded array of learning opportunities for Maui’s school classes, including school field trips (eco-friendly tidepool explorations, whalewatching, touring Maui Ocean Center and more) and hands-on science projects.

There are also programs for preschoolers (See Wees), Ocean Discovery Day Camps during school vacations and service programs for teens. Adults will find free talks, slideshows and classes about the ocean.

The Ocean Science Discovery Center was funded by founding sponsor Maui Ocean Center, profits from Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures and Pacific Whale Foundation’s Ocean Store, and donations to the Ocean Science Discovery Center Ocean Legacy Wall.

Q. Tell us about your work in Ecuador.
A. Located on the Paciic Ocean, Ecuador is a South American country (population 12 million) about the size of Colorado. Encompassing the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador has both a rich ecological heritage and an emerging economy. Tourism is the fourth largest income generator in Ecuador: more than 500,000 people visit Ecuador each year.

From June through October, humpback whales also travel to Ecuador, to mate and give birth in sun-warmed ocean waters.

Pacific Whale Foundation conducts whale research and environmental educational programs for schoolchildren along Ecuador's coast. Our staff also offers naturalist training programs for the captains and crew of whalewatch boats in the region.

“Our team is pleased to help in Ecuador, and to work with Ecuador's local businesses to ensure that conservation is at the forefront of developing marine tourism activities," notes Greg Kaufman, President of Pacific Whale Foundation.

Pacific Whale Foundation's research takes place primarily at Machalilla National Park, a 136,000 acre protected area along the Ecuadorian coastline that encompasses dry tropical forests, white sand beaches and islands, and is home to dolphins, sea lions, whales, and a number of unique bird species.

Pacific Whale Foundation researchers collect data about whales in collaboration with whale watching vessels. They will also carry out shore based observations in the vicinity of a small island approximately 25 miles offshore. Identification photographs collected from the whale watch boats are added to a catalog of more than 350 individual whales already identified by the team.

The researchers are comparing fluke identification photos and data with other researchers in parts of Central and South America to document how whales move between and among the different mating and calving areas along the west coast of South America. The goal is to understand the whales' population levels, distribution, abundance and social dynamics, in order to help local government create effective management programs for whales.

Pacific Whale Foundation's team offers environmental education program at local schools with presentations, puppetry and mural paintings about marine protection which inspire children about conservation. They distribute two booklets about the marine environment written by Cristina Castro, Project Director of Pacific Whale Foundation’s Ecuador Project. The books are Elena La Ballena (Elena the Whale), and Riquezas del Mar (Riches of the Sea). More than 1,000 children have received these booklets and have learned about the marine ecosystem, coral reefs, fish, turtles and marine mammals through the support of the Foundation.

Ecuador's many environmental issues, such as the creation of protective laws and whale watching regulations, require the input of a greater number of Ecuadorians, notes Castro. "The best way to protect our future resources will be by education,” she says. “People cannot take care of what they are not aware.”