The 2024 Maui Whale Festival | A reason to celebrate
Updated. January 27, 2024
Whale season is in full swing on Maui, with February’s annual Maui Whale Festival, gearing up for another big year of advocacy. During peak humpback whale season, the festival offers a range of inspiring events aimed at fostering awareness and appreciation for marine animals and their habitats. These activities provide an excellent opportunity for both locals and visitors staying in various accommodations on Maui to participate and learn more about these majestic creatures.
Presented by the Pacific Whale Foundation, attendees can experience educational talks and interactive experiences for all ages. The festival’s lineup is designed to celebrate the ocean and its inhabitants, making it a must-attend for anyone interested in marine conservation. For more details on the events scheduled throughout February, be sure to check out more information about the Maui Whale Festival.
History of the Maui Whale Festival – A Cultural Celebration
The Maui Whale Festival is a vibrant celebration that marks the annual return of humpback whales to the warm waters surrounding Maui, Hawaii. This festival has grown into a significant cultural and environmental event, highlighting the importance of whales to the local ecosystem and the cultural fabric of the Hawaiian islands. The history of whales in Maui dates back centuries, with these majestic creatures playing a vital role in the oceanic ecosystem and featuring prominently in Native Hawaiian lore and mythology, symbolizing guardianship, guidance, and protection.
The cultural relevance of whales in Maui is deeply intertwined with the island’s history and the broader Pacific Islander maritime heritage. Whales have been respected and revered as powerful creatures of the ocean, and their annual migration to the Hawaiian waters is a natural phenomenon that has been observed and celebrated by generations of Hawaiians.
The first official Maui Whale Festival began in the early 1980s as a way to increase awareness about whales, their migration patterns, and the importance of protecting these magnificent animals and their habitat. The Pacific Whale Foundation has been a key organizer of the event, which started as Whale Day in 1980. The festival features a variety of activities, including educational talks, whale-watching tours, environmental workshops, and cultural performances, all aimed at celebrating the whales and promoting conservation efforts.
Photo by Abigail Lynn on Unsplash
Facts About Our Winter Visitors – Whales
- The scientific name for the humpback whale is Mageptera novaeangliae meaning Big Winged New Englander. Big Winged for its long pectoral fins and New Englander for where most of the first scientific sightings occurred. The common name, humpback, stems from how they arch their back when diving.
- Only male humpback whales sing. During the winter months here on Maui it is common to put your head underwater and actually hear the whale’s song. We still don’t know why humpbacks sing. This is one of the biggest mysteries of the ocean today.
- Humpback population numbers have been steadily rising ever since the end of whaling in 1966. Scientists are currently debating taking the North Pacific subpopulation (our whales here on Maui) off the ‘threatened’ list.
- A humpback’s tongue is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle and its entire mouth takes up 1/3 of its body. Its throat opening though is only the size of a grapefruit – fitting for a creature that eats huge amounts of a tiny food source.
- A Humpback whales mother’s milk consists of 40% fat. The milk we drink is only 2%. Calves drink up to 100 gallons per day in order to be strong enough to make the 2,700+ mile migration back to the feeding grounds in Alaska.
Maui Whale Festival 2024 Schedule
The Maui Whale Festival takes place throughout the entire month of February. Here are a few highly anticipated events taking place worth checking out;
19th Annual Whale Tales
February 14th – 17th, 2025 | Taking place at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, this event aims to educate, inspire, and connect people with the latest research and discoveries about whales and the ocean. The program includes presentations by a lineup of esteemed presenters, a community expo showcasing local artists and businesses, a Mauka to Makai Science Center featuring local organizations with hands-on learning activities, whale watches, and a silent auction to support local conservation efforts.
The Great Whale Count
February 24th, 2024 | The Pacific Whale Foundation on Maui organizes the Great Whale Count each year, during the Maui Whale Festival, as a significant event to record and study the behaviors of humpback whales during their winter visitation.
World Whale Day
This day is known all over the world and was founded in Maui in the 1980’s. This day in particular out of the whole month is special for raising awareness about the threat of extinction faced by humpback whales.
Race for Whales
The Race for Whales is a virtual fundraising event organized by the Pacific Whale Foundation, set to run from February 1 to February 28, 2025. This inclusive event invites participants to engage in any form of movement—running, walking, biking, swimming, paddling, hiking, among others—to support the foundation’s Research, Education, Conservation, and Outreach programs. Challengers have 28 days to complete a total of 30 miles. In recognition of their achievement, participants who reach or exceed this distance will be awarded celebratory medals. This initiative not only promotes physical activity but also underscores the importance of marine conservation efforts.
World Whale Film Festival
This annual event showcases a hybrid of in-person and virtual film screenings focused on whales and marine life. It’s a part of the broader efforts to engage the community and visitors in marine conservation through the power of visual storytelling.
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