On a beautiful February day last year, National Geographic photographer Flip Nicklin was accompanying a small group of whale watchers off Lahaina when four curious humpbacks swam up and lingered under their yacht.

Federal regulations require ocean users in Hawaii to maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from humpbacks, an endangered species, so the captain knew he had to turn off the engine and stay put until the whales left, which wound up being an hour later.

"One of Flip’s guests was a volunteer with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary who was scheduled to give a talk after the cruise," recalled Meagan Jones, co-founder of Whale Trust Maui (see sidebar). "The crew was brainstorming ways to get her ashore, but she eventually decided to cancel her presentation because she was more excited about being there with the whales than just talking about them."

Such memorable stories are shared every year at Whale Tales. The eighth annual event, which is hosted by Whale Trust Maui, will feature presentations by world-renowned whale experts who will provide commentary and mingle with guests on two-hour cruises along the coast of West Maui — one of the best spots in Hawaii for whale watching.

"At Whale Tales, attendees can see amazing underwater images of whales and hear the latest findings from people who have dedicated their lives to studying them," Jones said. "The donations we receive at the event help researchers continue their important work in Hawaii."

Highlights include a presentation by Phil Clapham, leader of the Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program at the National Marine Mammal Lab in Seattle. The author of four books and nearly a hundred peer-reviewed papers on whales and other cetaceans, Clapham will discuss the humpback’s emergence from the brink of extinction and the controversial proposal to remove it from the endangered species list. He will be signing copies of his latest book, "Winged Leviathan," at Whale Tales.

ALSO sure to draw crowds will be Howard and Michele Hall, who’ve won seven Emmy Awards for their marine wildlife films, the production of which has taken them to Fiji, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, the Maldives and the Dominican Republic. They will be showing and describing their favorite underwater whale footage, all shot in magnificent IMAX.

Among the other presenters are Ralph Lee Hopkins, founder and director of photography expeditions for Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic; Robin Baird, leading researcher for the Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, Wash.; Fred Sharpe, a researcher with the Seattle-based Alaska Whale Foundation; and Hal Whitehead, professor of cetacean science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Throughout the year, such esteemed scientists, conservationists, photographers and filmmakers travel around the world to study whales. Several of them then meet on Maui at Whale Tales to pre­sent their research, stories, photos and films to anyone who would like to learn.

"The casual format allows for a free-flowing exchange of ideas and information between the presenters and the audience," Jones said. "Whale Tales is about a community of professionals coming together to support each other, to share what they are most passionate about and to help others develop a deeper appreciation for and understanding of incredibly beautiful and socially complex animals and their ocean environment."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.