PacWhale Eco-Adventures announces return to Lahaina Harbor in June 2026

PacWhale Eco-Adventures, the social enterprise of Pacific Whale Foundation, will resume ocean operations from Lahaina Harbor beginning June 1, 2026, marking a meaningful milestone in Maui’s ongoing recovery following the 2023 wildfires.

Lahaina has been the home of Pacific Whale Foundation for more than 40 years and is where its earliest operations began — a place of deep significance for the organization and for the broader community.

​In the immediate aftermath of the August 2023 wildfires, PacWhale Eco-Adventures vessels were deployed to deliver essential supplies — including fresh water and food — to families and community members in Lahaina. Simultaneously, Pacific Whale Foundation established the PWF Maui Community Relief Fund, a restricted fund dedicated entirely to supporting survivors and the organizations rebuilding the Lahaina and Maui communities. With the support of Pacific Whale Foundation’s global network, the fund raised over a quarter of a million dollars in direct contributions to community organizations working on the front lines of recovery.

​“PWF’s Maui Community Relief Fund supported us when we were just getting started and helped lay the foundation for our success. How operations come back to Lahaina Harbor is as important as what comes back and when, and we are grateful to partners like Pacific Whale Foundation for understanding the important role they play in our wider community recovery. Culturally grounded, reciprocal relationships are a vital part of our collective healing and the future Lahaina we are working to build,” said Autumn Ness, Executive Director of Lahaina Community Land Trust.

PWF leaders say the return to Lahaina Harbor is an opportunity to renew its relationship with place, with community, and with the ocean, offering residents and visitors alike meaningful experiences on the water that honor Maui’s cultural and ecological heritage.

“We’re proud to return in a way that supports local economic recovery and reconnects our team to the harbor and community they care deeply about,” said Alyssa Moser, Operations Director of PacWhale Eco-Adventures.

Pacific Whale Foundation reports it will continue to listen, learn, and adapt alongside community members, partners, and staff, “ensuring its renewed presence in Lahaina supports recovery in a thoughtful and collaborative way.”

“We re-enter Lahaina with openness and reciprocity. Our first kuleana is to listen — to the community, to the ʻāina, to those who left and to those who remain — so that what we hear helps direct how we operate and how we better serve this place. The legacy of Lahaina is everlasting, and we are honored to contribute to it with care, accountability, and a steady commitment to listening — now and in the years ahead,” said Dayna Garland, Executive Director and CEO of Pacific Whale Foundation.

Through Mālama Pono, kamaʻāina, visitors and the PWF team are invited to immerse themselves in Maui’s ʻāina, culture and community. Volunteers are also welcome to join in education and ocean conservation. For more information about volunteering, go to pacificwhale.org/malamapono