Kaufman's first move was to participate in a national campaign that helped reduce the threat of commercial whaling on the humpback population. Then, in 1980, he established the Pacific Whale Foundation concentrating on non-invasive whale research. That led to educational whalewatch trips, conducted on weekends in vessels rented by the Foundation. Eventually, those weekend trips expanded and a new company, Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures, wholly owned by the nonprofit Foundation, was put in place.

Expansion into commercial tours has done nothing to change the Foundation's focus. All of the company's profits are funneled into efforts to protect whales, dolphins and the marine environment. Education is a fundamental aspect of whale watching tours.

The Foundation's research arm has expanded to Australia, Ecuador and other parts of the Pacific. And over the years, PWF's education programs have expanded to include tidepool explorations, an ambitious array of community programs, and establishment of a Discovery Center at Ma'alaea.

In the years since humpback whales have gained protection as an endangered species, their numbers have grown. The Hawaii population is increasing at an estimated rate of 6-8 percent a year, and whale watching has become a popular attraction worldwide. In the last 26 years, more than 2 million people have gone with PWF naturalists on whale watching tours. These tours are not just for fun. They're a learning experience gleaned from years of research and the dedication of an organization that set out to save the whales.

Though the humpbacks don't arrive in numbers until December, whales can be seen as early as October. Pacific Whale Foundation begins whale search cruises in mid-November. Regular whale watches, with guaranteed sightings, begin in late November.