The ProjectIntroduction
Every winter, humpback whales return to Maui's waters.
The boat docks. The moment ends. There is nowhere for it to go.Maui Whales & Ocean Tales gives that curiosity somewhere to go.
Fluke ID # HW-MN0441239 · Maui
Introduction
Closing the distance between wonder and action.
Maui Whales & Ocean Tales is a visual storytelling initiative built on a NOAA educational and commercial photography permit, under Ocean Storytellers, within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
This whale season, December 2026 – April 2027, the project captures synchronized aerial, surface, and underwater perspectives of the same behavioral moments.
01The Mission
Witness. Reveal. Transform.
Imagine discovering Maui's winter season from above, on, and below the water. Humpback whales giving birth, mothers nursing their young, competitive mating pods, breaching giants, and surfers riding legendary swells.
Moments so extraordinary they transform how you see the ocean. How you understand connection. How you protect it.
02The Vision
Maui transforms, every winter.
Humpback whales return from Alaska to mate and give birth. Big wave surfers await massive swells, such as Jaws.
This whale season, I'm capturing it all — above the water, on the surface, and below — a project you can own and be a part of.
One rider, one wall of water · From above
Why it matters
03Why people care
Seeing it changes people.
Mothers nurse their calves a few miles off Maui's shore.
But most visitors leave with a photo, not an understanding, and nothing to do with what they felt.
04What this solves
- 01
Wonder without understanding
Weekly dispatches, field notes and Ask Emily give the story behind what people see.
- 02
Science that stays in papers
Research shared openly and turned into materials for classrooms and tourism.
- 03
Whales facing entanglement
Scar and entanglement documentation goes to responders, and every sale helps fund response.
05This season
This season's objectives.
- Document
- Complete behaviour sequences of individual whales, from above, on and under the water.
- Educate
- Weekly dispatches December–April, and materials for Hawaii schools, classrooms and tourism.
- Protect
- Entanglement documentation to responders, and 20% of memberships to research and conservation.
- Contribute
- Fluke IDs and observations shared with NOAA sanctuary staff and Happywhale.
- Connect
- A free whale community where every question gets a personal answer.
- Create
- The coffee table book, the season's lasting record (Fall 2027).
December 2026 – April 2027
One whale season, now to August 2027.
Now – Nov 2026
Preparation
- Season preparation and protocol refinement
- Community partnerships
- Pre-orders open
Dec 2026 – Apr 2027
Whale season
- Aerial, surface, and underwater documentation
- Weekly newsletters
- Expert interviews with ocean professionals
- Community engagement events
May – Aug 2027
Production
- Coffee table book production (book Fall 2027)
- Educational resource packages
06After this season
The vision
This season is the beginning.
- 01
More whale seasons
Back every winter, so the fluke ID record and the community grow year on year.
- 02
Entanglement response
Ongoing funding, and documentation of scars and entanglement marks for responders.
- 03
Education
Materials for Hawaii's schools, classrooms and tourism sector.
- 04
Research legacy
Long-term fluke IDs and behaviour records for NOAA and Happywhale.
- 05
The world's whales
The same above, on and under storytelling for humpbacks and other whales in Tonga, Norway, Mexico, Antarctica, Argentina and South Africa.
Memberships and sponsorships cover this season only.
07The big goal
Turn spectators into stewards.
Millions visit Maui. Tens of thousands seek out its whales, on the island and from afar. The goal is to turn every one of them into someone who protects them.
The long-term vision: film the whole humpback migration, Alaska and Canada to Maui, and back.
08The 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
For extraordinary results
The most important deliverable doesn't go on a shelf.
Weekly educational newsletters throughout whale season (December–April). An interactive website. And in Fall 2027, a coffee table book that stands as a permanent record of this season.
Imagery and video go back to science. Proceeds go back to whale conservation and entanglement response.
09Your Impact
More days on the water.
Your backing directly determines how many days I can be on the water capturing the behaviors that reveal why Maui's waters are irreplaceable — competitive pods moving through the channel, mothers nursing newborn calves, breaching juveniles, intimate communication.
Where the funding goes
- 01Boat charters for whale season access
- 02Safety crew and marine protocols
- 03Professional book design/production
- 04Interactive website development
- 05Expert interview production
- 06The dedicated time to execute this vision with the respect and professionalism these waters deserve
- 07Whale conservation and entanglement service donations
10What is important about the NOAA permit?
A federally protected breeding ground.
Maui's waters are part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, where approaching whales requires special authorization. This permit allows closer access than recreational viewing.
Credential · NOAA
Permit #29134
NOAA Educational & Commercial Photography Permit #29134
Under Ocean Storytellers: The Mystery of Maui's Humpbacks
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.
It allows the aerial, vessel-based, and underwater documentation needed to capture complete behavioral sequences, with the utmost respect and minimal disturbance.
11The Story
Bridging the gap between wonder and understanding.
Connection. Education. Inspiration.
To see the ocean not as scenery, but as a living, interconnected system where whales, waves, and humans coexist.
Mother, calf, and escort · Below
Inspiration through connection
A place where 40-ton giants travel 3,000 miles to mate and give birth.
Where world-class surfers test themselves against nature's power, and where the ocean community lives by respect, awareness, and humility.
When you understand the interconnection, you become invested in preserving it.
12Beyond This Project
Resources for Maui's community.
Teachers
to use in classrooms
Tour operators
for responsible whale watching education
Local businesses
to display authentic representations of Maui's winter
Conservation organizations
to support sanctuary protection work
13Why Care?
From Antarctica to the Arctic — and home.
I've encountered whales from every vantage point. But Maui's humpbacks remain profoundly special to me. The crystal-clear water, the significance of their 3,000-mile journey, the behaviors that unfold here come together in ways that exist nowhere else.
I want to create imagery that makes you pause.
14The Strategy
Careful planning, professional expertise, community collaboration.
Under the NOAA permit, issued through the National Marine Fisheries Service: aerial drone operations, vessel-based photography, and underwater freediving throughout this whale season.
The Team
Principal Investigator
Emily McCulliss
Maui-based nature photographer and expedition guide documenting cetaceans across Mexico, French Polynesia, Antarctica, and Hawaii.
The Expert Integration
Connecting with people who truly know these waters and these whales.
- Marine mammal rescue and entanglement response professionals
- Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, ocean safety specialists, watermen
- Big Wave Risk Assessment Group members and the big wave surfing community
- Hawaiian ocean experts and traditional navigators
- NOAA sanctuary researchers and population scientists
- Marine wildlife cinematographers and conservation specialists
- Sustainable tourism experts and conservation education specialists
15Overview of Support
What your support accomplishes.
- 01
Education
Freely accessible content for Maui's teachers, tour industry, and conservation organizations — answering real questions about whale behavior, ocean ecosystems, and respectful coexistence.
- 02
Inspiration
Visual narratives that capture Maui's winter transformation — imagery that makes people pause, wonder, and feel connected to forces greater than themselves.
- 03
Ocean Community
Amplifying marine biologists, big wave surfers, watermen, Hawaiian ocean experts, and conservation professionals who truly know these waters.
- 04
Ocean Stewardship
Turning spectators into stewards. When people understand what's happening beneath Maui's waves, they don't just admire the beauty — they feel compelled to protect it.
- 05
This Life-Giving Season
Celebrating winter as renewal: ocean giants returning to create new life, legendary swells awakening, an entire ecosystem pulsing with energy.
How you can help
- 01
Financial Support
Back this project at any tier to directly fund documentation days, production costs, and educational content.
- 02
Spread the Word
Share it with ocean lovers, educators, conservation advocates — anyone who cares about our blue planet.
- 03
Generate Interest
Engage with updates and connect us with organizations, schools, or businesses that align with this mission.