Whale Tales 2026 opens February 19 in Maui, marking a powerful moment for marine science, public education, and global conservation at a time when whales—and the oceans they depend on—face unprecedented pressure from climate change, habitat disruption, industrial activity, and human exploitation.
This year’s gathering is far more than a conference. It represents a major milestone for the international ocean community, celebrating both the 20th annual Whale Tales event and the 25th anniversary of Whale Trust, a Maui-based nonprofit whose mission centers on rigorous scientific research, public education, and conservation programs designed to help people better understand, appreciate, and protect whales and the ocean planet we share.
For Sustainable Action Now, events like Whale Tales are essential to advancing public understanding about why the protection of whales must extend beyond research and storytelling—and into broader conversations about captivity, exploitation, and the future of ethical human interaction with marine life. Our ongoing coverage of the global movement challenging the confinement and commercial use of whales and dolphins continues to highlight why public education and science-based advocacy are inseparable from real policy change and public accountability.
Whale Tales 2026 will take place from February 19 through February 23, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, bringing together scientists, Indigenous navigators, conservation leaders, filmmakers, photographers, educators, and community members for five days of research-driven dialogue and immersive storytelling.
This year’s headlining speakers reflect the depth and global reach of the program. The event features three of the world’s most respected ocean leaders—Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Nainoa Thompson—along with a distinguished roster of marine scientists and conservation practitioners working throughout the Pacific and across the world.
At its core, Whale Tales 2026 is designed to bridge scientific discovery with public understanding. Whale Trust has long emphasized that data alone does not create protection. People protect what they understand, and they understand what they are invited to experience through science, story, and human connection.
A centerpiece of the 2026 program will be “Listening to the Ocean: An Evening of Conversation with Ocean Elders,” scheduled for Friday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. This special dialogue brings together respected ocean leaders to explore knowledge systems, leadership pathways, and the cultural and scientific responsibility humanity carries toward the sea. The session is expected to focus not only on environmental science, but also on the deeper ethical relationship between people and ocean life.
One of the most anticipated scientific sessions of the weekend will unfold on Saturday with “Gray Whales in Crisis: Live from the Calving Lagoons in Baja, Mexico.” This timely and in-depth program features leading gray whale researchers Dr. Steven Swartz, Dr. Jorge Urbán, and Dr. Sue Moore, with moderation by Dr. Jim Darling, co-founder of Whale Trust.
What makes this session especially powerful is its real-time connection to researchers working directly inside gray whale breeding lagoons in Baja, offering participants live insights from the field. As gray whale populations continue to experience alarming fluctuations and unexplained mortality events, this discussion places science front and center in understanding how climate disruption, prey availability, and human activity are reshaping one of the most iconic whale migrations on the planet.
Another featured presenter, Dr. Denise Herzing, Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence in 2025, will explore dolphin intelligence, communication, and the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and animal cognition. Her presentation will examine what decades of underwater research are revealing about non-human intelligence and the ethical implications of what humanity is only beginning to understand about how dolphins perceive and communicate within their social world. A book signing will follow her session.
Whale Tales 2026 will run in-person and online, ensuring access for global audiences. Presentations will take place Friday through Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., with live streaming and on-demand access available for up to 30 days following the event. This hybrid format reflects Whale Trust’s continued commitment to expanding public access to science and conservation knowledge well beyond the walls of any single venue.
Throughout the five-day program, participants will be able to explore the Mauka to Makai Science Center, featuring more than a dozen local nonprofit organizations working across marine research, coastal restoration, education, and cultural preservation. The event also includes a Community Art Expo, highlighting the role of creative expression in environmental advocacy and ocean storytelling.
Experiential learning remains a defining element of Whale Tales. Attendees can participate in benefit whale watches led by Whale Trust researchers and featured presenters, offering a rare opportunity to observe whales in their natural environment while learning directly from scientists conducting long-term field studies. Proceeds from these experiences support the Whale Tales Beneficiary Fund, which has contributed more than $1.25 million to whale research since the event began.
Additional highlights include a guided snorkel experience at Olowalu’s Mission Blue Hope Spot with Dr. Sylvia Earle on Sunday, February 22, connecting participants directly to one of the world’s recognized marine conservation sites. That same evening, the community is invited to attend a free public screening of Ocean with David Attenborough, extending Whale Tales’ commitment to open public engagement and environmental awareness beyond registered participants.
Dr. Meagan Jones Gray, Founder and Executive Director of Whale Trust, describes Whale Tales as a place “where science meets storytelling,” underscoring the organization’s belief that meaningful conservation begins when people are invited to understand not only the data, but the emotional and cultural significance of whales within the larger ocean system. Whale Trust co-founder and underwater photographer Flip Nicklin has long emphasized that the power of imagery and narrative can inspire public action in ways that statistics alone cannot.
Founded in 2001, Whale Trust is a Maui-based nonprofit dedicated to whale research and education. The organization collaborates with scientists around the world to study whales in their natural environment and shares those findings with the public to promote deeper understanding of marine ecosystems. Research conducted by Whale Trust scientists has been featured by major international media organizations, including the BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and in the award-winning IMAX film Humpback Whales.
As the world’s leading scientists gather in Maui this February, the conversations unfolding at Whale Tales 2026 arrive at a critical moment. Whales remain under threat from vessel strikes, entanglement, underwater noise pollution, climate-driven prey collapse, and expanding industrial activity across the oceans. At the same time, public debate continues to grow around the ethics of keeping highly intelligent marine mammals in captivity for entertainment and display.
Sustainable Action Now continues to elevate the global movement demanding a future in which whales and dolphins are protected in the wild—not confined, traded, or exploited—and where public policy reflects what science has made clear about the complex intelligence, social bonds, and ecological importance of these animals. Education, storytelling, and direct engagement with research, like what Whale Tales provides, play a critical role in building the public understanding needed to support stronger protections and a decisive shift away from practices that place profit over welfare.
Whale Tales 2026 offers a rare opportunity for the public to engage directly with the people shaping the future of marine science, conservation strategy, and ocean leadership. Registration is now open, and advance registration is strongly encouraged due to limited in-person capacity and high demand for live-stream access.
As the ocean community gathers in Maui this February, one message will be impossible to ignore: protecting whales is not a niche environmental issue. It is a defining test of how humanity chooses to coexist with life in the sea—and whether we are prepared to replace exploitation and confinement with stewardship, science, and lasting respect for the living systems that sustain our planet.
