Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Hawaii Wildlife Fund

a picture of a room

Kai Kanani Sailing is a Hawaiian, family-owned company. We live in balance with the Āina (land), the Ea (air), the Wai (water), and most of all, the Kai (the ocean). Our name, Kai Kanani, is Hawaiian for “beautiful ocean.” Our Native Hawaiian tradition calls living in balance with the islands Malama ‘Aina.

A Tradition of Living in Balance

Malama ‘Aina is a level of caring for and living with the land that has been modeled by traditional Hawaiian society for thousands of years. This way of living is open to every single person who comes to the islands and lives in balance with the environment here. We continue in this tradition today.

Part of our malama ‘aina is a long history of working with the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. The Fund is based on Maui and the Big Island and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of Hawaii’s native wildlife through research, education, and advocacy.

Working with the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund

The Hawai’i Wildlife Fund team is made up of educators, conservationists, researchers, naturalists, communities, volunteers, and donors devoted to protecting Hawaii’s fragile marine ecosystem and inhabitants. Over the years, we’ve partnered with the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund on significant environmental protection issues.

Together, we’ve helped end the practice of artificial fish feeding, cleaned debris from the shores of Kahoolawe (the smallest of the eight main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, which lies eleven miles southwest of Maui), launched the Maui Reef Fund to repair day-use moorings, and are now encouraging industry-wide conservation measures, such as limiting the amount of damaging sunscreen in our waters.

Captain Roger seized the opportunity with Hawai’i Wildlife Fund and turned his luxury catamaran ocean excursions into a multi-layered experience. Kai Kanani became an educational platform for marine conservation with Hannah Bernard, a 35-year marine biologist, on board several times a week. Additionally, Kai Kanani crew members are trained as certified naturalists, an unprecedented conservation commitment in Maui’s ocean tourism industry.

Crew members start with a three-day certification course and get continual education twice weekly, with Bernard educating tour passengers as they enjoy a day on the ocean.

We encourage and invite you to lend your support and time to the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund. Join us as we work to protect our natural legacy and live in harmony with Āina, Ea, Wai, and the Kai Kanani.

Each one of us can be part of the solution to save our oceanic wildlife in Hawaii, and indirectly, that is saving the world.

Visit the website of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund and donate, volunteer, and get involved! Mahalo!