The Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) is a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...

founded in 1980 and based in Maui, Hawaii that conducts whale research and educates the public in an effort to save vulnerable species of whales from extinction. As of 2012 the organization had about 150 employees. Since its foundation the PWF has been working to prevent destruction of populations of

Humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hu ...

s, dolphins, turtles and coral reefs in Hawaii. Every year the PWF organizes a "Great Whale Count" where volunteers systematically gather data on whales that can be seen from ten observation points along the southern shore of Maui, giving a series of snapshots that indicate changes in whale populations. The Pacific Whale Foundation provided funding to the

Alfaguara project The Alfaguara project is a marine life conservation project operated from Puñihuil in the northwest of Chiloé Island, the main island in the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile. "Alfaguara" was the name given to blue whales by Chilean whale ...

on Isla de Chiloé in southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

for marine surveys of the local

blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can ...

population in the 2012 season. The PWF also has a second home in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia.

References

{{reflist Whale conservation Cetaceans of the Pacific Ocean Animal charities based in the United States Environmental organizations based in Hawaii Environmental organizations established in 1980 1980 establishments in Hawaii 1980 establishments in the United States