Earlier this month we wrote about how 52-Hertz’s story had been gaining momentum in the media, catching the eye of actor Adrian Grenier (of Entourage fame.) Our Program Director, Amy Fonarow, has been keeping herself apprised on this story and wanted us to share with everyone that the film is now fully funded thanks to help from Leonardo DiCaprio! A true philanthropist and animal lover, DiCaprio contributed $50,000 of his own money to help fund the film.

With funding having been reached, the nearly 4,000 backers who contributed to the Kickstarter project will receive all of their promised gifts which include posters and even a signed backing of a director’s chair from the upcoming Entourage movie. Meanwhile, Grenier and his friends can begin to film and search for 52! They will put together a team, and using tracking equipment will not only search for 52-Hertz and bring awareness to his story, but also study the effects of noise pollution on the ocean. It is believed that noise pollution created by humans has contributed to whale deafness and even beaching.

Here at Hawaii Ocean Project, we couldn’t be happier that 52’s story has reached the mainstream media and that Grenier reached his funding goal. The protection of marine mammals is something that we’re very passionate about. In fact our mission  is, “To support marine research and to educate visitors and residents about Hawaii’s marine ecosystem while delivering unique ocean excursions.” Although 52 isn’t a “resident” of Hawaii, we hope that this attention to his story will help science find a way to ease his loneliness and help him to find a friend, while alerting people to the effect we have on the ocean.

Although Grenier’s film received full funding, there are so many cetaceans that still need assistance. 100% of funds we receive from memberships, tours, and donations are given to peer-reviewed researchers, with our most recent donation recipient being Whale Trust. We’re still in whale watching season, which runs through May, so if you’re interested in seeing whales and also supporting legitimate research, look no further than the Hawaii Ocean Project Whale Watch Tour that departs from beautiful Lahaina, Maui.  We know you’ll have a whale of a time!

It was just about a week ago that we blogged about our charitable contribution to Whale Tales 2015, and of our excitement to have been involved with such a fantastic cause. It seems like our friends at the Maui Time and Lahaina News took notice of our efforts to raise funds for legitimate research, because they wrote two wonderful articles about us. We were as excited to see it as we are to share it here, because it is assisting us in spreading awareness of our passion - supporting legitimate, peer-reviewed research on the study of cetaceans and the marine ecosystem.

As mentioned in both articles we were able to present researchers with a $6,000 check - money that was generated throughout the previous whale watching season. Since our inception, we have contributed in excess of $80,000 to researchers who scientifically investigate marine life. We'd like to extend a big mahalo, or thank you, to everyone who has supported us over the years, and with gratitude look forward to being able to continue to contribute to legitimate research with your help in the years to come.

_{(From left to right, receiving $6,000 to further their research): whale researcher and author Dr. Jim Darling, underwater videographer Jason Sturgis, whale researcher and Whale Trust Executive Director Dr. Meagan Jones-Gray, and Hawaii Ocean Project Program Coordinator Amy Fonarow.
Photo provided by Amy Fonarow}

If you are interested in supporting our cause then you'll be glad to know that there are so many ways you can help; whether you're booking a whale watch, becoming a member, or making a direct donation, you're contributing to the continued support of marine research. We appreciate your support, and want you to know that our researchers do too.