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Stories from the Blue: Saving Koholā

February 2026

Stories from the Blue: Saving Koholā offers a rare and intimate look at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary team who monitors and disentangles humpback whales that migrate to these waters to mate and give birth. Entanglement in marine debris remains a major global threat to marine mammals, often leading to injury, starvation, or death.

This film documents the high-stakes work of responding to these incidents, from tracking, approaching, and disentangling whales from dangerous debris. Come along as we follow the response team and capture the urgency, precision, and passion that defines this critical conservation work. The film raises public awareness about marine mammal entanglement while honoring the deep cultural and ecological connection Native Hawaiians hold with these migratory giants.