Whale seasonBig wave surfing
The Whales Are Here.
The water is waiting.
A Visual Storytelling Project by Emily McCulliss
Fund the 2026–27 season
Be one of the first supporters this season
100% of contributions and profits go back to the water.
Fund the seasonContribute any amount, sponsor a whale, or join the season.
Follow Maui's humpbacks this winter. Free.
Be one of the first to follow this season.
Or shop the season →Same water. Same winter. Two worlds most people never see.
Breach in winter mist · Maui
Whale seasonBig wave surfing
Maui transforms, every winter.
The whales
Humpback whales return from Alaska to mate and give birth.
Same water · From above
The big waves
Big wave surfers await massive swells, such as Jaws.
Inside a winter giant · Big wave
By the numbers
The most significant humpback whale breeding ground in the North Pacific
- Humpback whales returning every winter
- 10,000–12,000Humpback whales returning every winter
- Annual Maui visitors
- 2.35 MillionAnnual Maui visitors
- Whale season, December – April
- 5 MonthsWhale season, December – April
- The protected Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
- 1 SanctuaryThe protected Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Humpbacks in the channel · From above
01The Gap & the Vision
Millions are drawn to Maui. Tens of thousands seek authentic whale encounters.
- Science documents.
- Documentary tells.
- Experience transforms.
An interactive visual storytelling platform, newsletter (Surface), and publication project for this whale season that bridges all three — closing the distance between wonder and action.
Wonder becomes advocacy.The big goal: turn spectators into stewards →
Engagement becomes protection.
02The Documentation Approach
Above · On · Under
Aerial perspective
Above
Drone footage revealing spatial relationships and behavioral patterns.
Two humpbacks · From above
Vessel-based photography
On
Surface interactions, breathing patterns, social dynamics.
Head rising from the water · Maui
Underwater freediving
Under
Rarely-witnessed nursing behaviors, communication, social interactions.
White pectoral fins · Below
03Your Impact
Supporting this project directly protects Maui's humpback whales & innovates a new platform for connection.
ID # HW-MN0441239 01Research
A rare behavioral sequence library documenting individual whales through synchronized aerial, surface, and underwater perspectives. Observations and photo identification data are made available to NOAA researchers and sanctuary staff. Fluke identifications will be contributed to HappyWhale's global database.
Mother and calf · From above 02Education
Educational materials created specifically for Hawaiʻi's schools, tourism operators, and hospitality sector: Surface, the in-season weekly educational newsletter, classroom materials, in-person presentations, and an interactive platform featuring field documentation.
Rising at the surface · Maui 03Conservation & Entanglement Response
Detailed photographic documentation of scarring and entanglement cases flows directly to the Hawaiian Islands entanglement response network. 100% of profits from print sales, memberships, and experience* bookings go back to the water: humpback whale conservation, ocean cleanup initiatives, and entanglement response operations.
*Coming soon, pending permits
The more people connect to the story, the more resources flow to protection. More documentation fuels more engagement, which sustains and expands the work itself.
Where the funding goes
100% of contributions and 100% of profits from everything on this site go back to the water.
- 01Boat charters for whale season access
- 02Safety crew and marine protocols
- 03Professional book design/production
- 04Interactive website development
- 05Expert interview production
- 06Season operations
- 07Whale conservation and entanglement service donations
Surface — the free whale season newsletter
Follow Maui's humpbacks this winter. Free.
Get Emily's digital whale image “Kinetic” today, then photos, video and stories from the water every week, December through April, plus access to the season gallery. Short pre-season dispatches start in November.
Be one of the first to follow this season.
04What Is Being Created
Four ways into the season.
- 01
Coming soon
The record of this whale season in museum-quality print.
- Coming soon · Anticipated June 1, 2027
- $125 public price
- $90 for Pod and Escort members
Take a Breath · Mother and calf · From above - 02
Archival
Whales and big wave surfing from aerial, surface, and underwater perspectives.
- 03
Open access
Behind-the-scenes content, expert interviews, and whale behavior insights.
- 04
Whale season
Surface, the Maui Whales & Ocean Tales newsletter: images, videos, and interview previews throughout whale season (December–April).
05Project & Deliverable Timeline
One whale season, now to August 2027.
- We are here
Now – Nov 2026
Preparation
On the water and ready before the first humpbacks arrive.
- Season preparation and protocol refinement
- Community partnerships
- Calendar pre-orders open
Dec 2026 – Apr 2027
Whale season
The whole season documented, above, on and under the water, and shared every week.
- Aerial, surface, and underwater documentation
- Surface, the weekly newsletter
- Expert interviews with ocean professionals
- Community engagement events
May – Aug 2027
Production
The season becomes a book and lessons for classrooms.
- Coffee table book production (book anticipated ship June 1, 2027)
- Educational resource packages
The season goal
Every winter, they come back. Help me be there.
Thousands of humpbacks swim nearly 3,000 miles to Maui to give birth, nurse their calves and sing. Two goals get this season on the water and its story out into the world.
Take a Breath · Mother and calf · From above
$25,000raised by January 1
So every day of the season is on the water.
Be one of the first to help
10,000Surface newsletter subscribers this season
So the whales' story reaches as many people as possible.
Be one of the first to follow this season.
The goal
Three ways to be part of it
1 · Subscribe
Subscribe to Surface
Surface, the Maui Whales & Ocean Tales newsletter: free weekly field notes and photos from the water, December – April. Get Emily's whale image Kinetic today.
2 · Pass it on
Bring someone with you
Every person you send carries these whales further.
Right now, thousands of humpback whales are swimming nearly 3,000 miles to Maui to give birth, nurse their calves and sing. Photographer Emily McCulliss is on the water with them all winter, sending back photos and stories from above, on and under the surface. I'm following the whole season with Surface, the free Maui Whales & Ocean Tales newsletter. Follow the season 🐋
How to Read a Whale
Field card · PDF, free to pass on
The whale card
Emergence · Maui
3 · Help fund it
Put a day on the water
Choose an amount, or find a gift that funds the season.
100% of contributions and 100% of profits from everything on this site go back to the water.
Purchases and contributions are not tax-deductible. Our nonprofit's 501(c)(3) application is pending.
06Shop the Season
You're not just buying art.
You're funding connection, education, and conservation.
Everything in the shop, by what you're looking for. Pick one to go straight to it.
MauiWhale Season
Spend a day with me.
The encounters, the experience, and coaching to bring the photographs home.
Coming soon, pending permits
Breach, high key · Maui
07Join the Season
Follow the season, in real time.
Want to go deeper? Join The Pod or become an Escort.
See the memberships| What's included | Follow the SeasonFree | RecommendedThe PodThis season | The EscortThis season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed coffee table book at the $90 member price (vs. $125 public), with dedication | |||
| Your name in the book's acknowledgments | |||
| Members-only season wrap premiere: live screening and Q&A in April | |||
| Signed whale postcard mailed from Maui | |||
| Signed 12 × 18 framed whale print you choose (a $205 value) | |||
| A Maui morning with Emily in Lahaina, if you're on Maui |
08Who is Emily McCulliss
On the water, behind the lens.
I'm Emily McCulliss, a Maui-based nature photographer and expedition host. I'll be on the water all season, documenting these whales from above, on, and below the surface, and bringing their story to you.
Read Emily's storyEvery part of the production
Roles
Photographer & Filmmaker
Aerial, surface, and underwater documentation
Expedition Leader
Boat operations, safety protocols, field logistics
Interviewer
Marine biologists, surfers, and ocean professionals
Publisher
The coffee table book
Credentials that enable this vision
- NOAA Educational and Commercial Photography Permit
- Big Wave Risk Assessment Group Surf Responder (2025)
- Hawaiʻi Boat and Ocean Safety / Thrill Craft Operator (2025)
- FAA Part 107 Certified Remote Pilot
- Adult and Child CPR/AED
- PADI Open Water Diver
- Nikon Professional Services member
- Ironman 70.3 finisher and Masters swimmer
- Bachelor of Science in Biology
Principal Investigator
Emily McCulliss
Maui-based nature photographer and expedition host documenting cetaceans across Mexico, French Polynesia, Antarctica, and Hawaiʻi.
The water is waiting.
The whales are here.
Transform spectators into stewards.
Humpbacks in open blue · From above
Credential · NOAA
NOAA Educational & Commercial Photography Permit #29134
I've earned a NOAA educational and commercial photography permit — a rigorous process that requires demonstrating marine mammal expertise, safety protocols, cultural respect, and commitment to conservation education.
The project covers the full whale season, December 2026 – April 2027. The NOAA permit window is January – April 2027.